Chapter 127: A House Call

Chapter 127: A House Call

Tap, tap, tap. In the dim environment and under the crimson moonlight, the wireless telegraph receiver spat out another length of illusory white paper:

“Leonard Mitchell is parasitized by an angel of the Zoroast family. He once tampered with my question.”

Angel? Leonard has an angel parasitizing him? An angel from the Zoroast family of the Fourth Epoch? Although Klein had already prepared himself to hear an extraordinary secret, he was still shocked by what the magic mirror Arrodes revealed.

It was both concern and astonishment.

Angels referred to Beyonders at Sequence 2 and Sequence 1. They were already extremely close to the position of true gods, possessing all kinds of strange characteristics. They could even, within a certain range and to a certain degree, affect lower-Sequence members of their own pathway. They were major figures standing at the very summit of the real world. Within the various Churches, only popes, pontiffs, patriarchs, and certain legendary ascetics were angels upon the earth. Therefore, Klein believed that being parasitized by a powerhouse of this level absolutely could not be anything good.

“In the dark Second Epoch, angels could possess divine names and serve as subordinate gods to the ancient gods…

“I have directly or indirectly encountered only a handful of angels. One is Amon the Blasphemer. One is Calamity Queen Cohinem. One is the evil spirit suspected to be Red Angel Medici. One is Ouroboros, the Tail Devourer mentioned by Little Sun. One is Zaratul the Miracle Invoker from Roselle’s diary. One is Adam, the Creator’s son. One is Hermes, whose angelic status is uncertain. One is the Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin, still inside his mother’s belly…

“Apart from the last two, all of them appear very sinister. Even words they left behind can drive the reader mad and out of control… Will Poet ultimately become a sacrifice to the angel parasitizing him?

“This does explain why he felt he was the protagonist of some drama, the special one, and why he was willing to help me hide secrets… The Zoroast family controls the Thief pathway, which is the pathway capable of stealing others’ Beyonder abilities. So Leonard being able to find and attend the Hermits of Fate gathering is completely normal… No wonder he volunteered to use the Vessel Thief back then. It turns out there was an old grandpa helping him, stealing away Megose’s strongest ability in one stroke…

“Heh. What Hermits of Fate? They are nothing but thieves and swindlers. At most, later on, the things they stole and deceived became time and fate…

“In short, Poet’s old grandpa does not seem like a good person. I need to find a chance to remind him… But the problem is that they are together at all times. Any warning might only cause the problem to erupt ahead of schedule.”

Klein’s thoughts raced, yet he could not find a good approach. He could only temporarily set the matter aside, preparing to later write to Mr. Azik and the Mercury Snake, Will Auceptin, to ask whether they had any methods.

In the minutes just now, he had even thought of using the Blasphemer Amon. Simply put, he would reveal to that son of the Creator that an angel of the Zoroast family was parasitizing Leonard Mitchell, letting Him go over and “eat” that “parasite.”

As far as Klein knew, during the Fourth Epoch, the Amon family had supported the Tudor Empire, while the Zoroast family had belonged to the Solomon Empire. They had been enemies. Moreover, according to the law of conservation of Beyonder characteristics, the higher one advanced within the same pathway, the greater the possible conflict among powerful individuals, just like the struggle between the two Mercury Snakes.

Unfortunately, this method was constrained by practical difficulties and was ultimately abandoned by Klein. First, he had no idea where to find the Blasphemer Amon. Second, he feared that an angel-level battle might directly destroy Leonard Mitchell. Third, strengthening Amon might be an extremely serious problem in itself.

I will first have Emlyn try the transaction and observe the specific situation along the way. After I grasp more details, I can decide what to do… Klein gathered his thoughts and spoke to the wireless telegraph receiver connected to the magic mirror Arrodes:

“Ask your question.”

Tap, tap, tap. The wireless telegraph receiver’s sounds became quite brisk, and the illusory white paper slid out very softly:

“No, there is no need.

“This is a supplement to my question. There is no need to follow the rules.

“Great Master, I detected something strange outside Your room, but I cannot see it clearly. Could You tell me what it is?”

This magic mirror really is impressive. It seems to see almost everything, only becoming interfered with—mosaicked—when higher-level matters are involved… Klein calmly answered, “The Die of Probability.”

Amid tapping sounds, Arrodes displayed new words on the illusory white paper:

“Oh, that… Great Master, You may ask Your question.”

Klein thought for a moment and said, “Regarding the Die of Probability, is there anything you wish to remind me of?”

At that moment, the wireless telegraph receiver seemed to brighten slightly. It was no longer as eerie as before, and the illusory white paper slowed as it emerged:

“It is an especially petty and especially vengeful fellow. Master, You must give it to someone else as soon as possible!

“It is an object formed from the solidified Uniqueness of the Wheel of Fortune pathway. You may give it to any Mercury Snake, and they will be extremely grateful to You. In any case, it is not suited to becoming Your servant.

“The aura is about to disperse. Your loyal and humble servant Arrodes must leave. Finally, I praise You once more, my great Master, the ruler above the spirit world. Bye-bye~”

“Uniqueness”… The Die of Probability is actually the Uniqueness of the Monster pathway… This is the first time I have seen a so-called Uniqueness. It really is terrifying. It can digitize the entire real world… The Monster pathway is also called the Wheel of Fortune pathway, and Sequence 0 is Wheel of Fortune? Klein looked at the wireless telegraph receiver, which had returned to normal, and for a moment could not pull his thoughts back.

He did not feel any greed toward the Die of Probability. This was because it did not belong to the Seer pathway, because it possessed terrifying negative effects, and because he feared that, given enough time, that vengeful die might attract the Tail Devourer, Ouroboros.

“If this thing were brought above the gray fog, even if it could be isolated and sealed inside, it might also digitize that mysterious space. In the future, Tarot Gatherings might become tabletop role-playing games…” Klein had never come into contact with an object at such a high level, so he had no way to judge what would happen if he tossed the Die of Probability above the gray fog.

He decided to continue intimidating the die and smoothly deliver it to Oravi Island, handing it to the member of the Life School of Thought capable of sealing it. As for the fact that the mission had exceeded its original scope, he did not mind, because the greatest benefit was gaining the friendship of the Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin.

…

Backlund, Harvest Church.

Emlyn White held the strange badge, only the size of an eyeball, and gave an internal heh.

“The World really is long-winded. Isn’t it just going to North Borough’s Pinster Street to find a Nighthawk named Leonard Mitchell? He actually emphasized that the other party has a secret and can probably drag people into dreams.

“He is underestimating my abilities!”

Emlyn rose, changed into the combination of a tailcoat and white shirt, then tilted his head to glance out the window.

Heh heh. He has a secret, and I also have a secret. I dare bet that Lord Nibbs, or some earl, is secretly watching me. If something truly unexpected happens, they will definitely provide some help… Entering dreams… Emlyn considered for a few seconds, then took out one metal vial after another and used the spiritually rich materials within to prepare a bottle of azure potion.

After putting away the vials and the potion, he picked up his silk top hat, left the lounge, said farewell to Bishop Utravsky, and walked out of Harvest Church.

It was still morning, but Backlund’s sky was already very dim, and a thin mist spread like water.

Emlyn narrowed his eyes, put on his hat, and muttered to himself, “The sunlight is a little dazzling…”

He hailed a rental carriage and headed straight for the steam metro station, spending six pence to buy a first-class ticket to North Borough.

This saved quite a bit of time compared to going there directly!

More than forty minutes later, he reached his destination and stood outside the door of No. 7 Pinster Street.

Emlyn politely pulled the doorbell and waited patiently for one minute.

Just as he was preparing to write a note, slip it through the gap beneath the door, and schedule another visiting time, he finally heard lazy footsteps approaching.

Does not sound like a servant… Emlyn nodded almost imperceptibly, took out the potion he had prepared earlier, unscrewed the cap, and gulped it down.

Then he saw the door open. He saw a man with black hair and green eyes appear before him. The other man wore a white home shirt and black trousers, the hem of his clothes pulled out and lightly swaying in the wind. His bearing was casual, carrying a few traces of unruliness.

Though he is a believer of Evernight, I must admit that in appearance he can barely be compared with us Blood Clan… Emlyn removed his hat, lifted his chin slightly, and said, “Good morning. Are you Mr. Leonard Mitchell?”

Leonard frowned faintly, looking at the handsome gentleman before him with a pair of striking red eyes. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and yawned as if unintentionally.

“And you are?”

“A visitor. I have something I would like to ask your help with.” Emlyn did not reveal his identity, smiling with a hint of arrogance.

That attitude and feeling gave Leonard an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as though he were seeing his own past self—the version who always believed he was the most special one, the protagonist of the era.

He cleared his throat and said, “I am only an ordinary citizen. I do not accept commissions.

“If you have some matter, you may look for a private detective.”

Emlyn White smiled.

“Only you can complete this matter.”

He glanced to the left and right, then continued, “I wish to purchase a mystical item capable of stealing another person’s Beyonder abilities.”

Leonard’s gaze sharpened. In a deep voice, he asked, “Who exactly are you?”

At that moment, Emlyn did not immediately answer. Instead, he looked around once and clicked his tongue with a smile.

“You really are impressive. I was dragged into a dream without almost any awareness.”

He was in no hurry to break free. Under Leonard Mitchell’s solemn expression, he took out the small badge given to him by The World.

Leonard glanced at it, and his expression eased somewhat. He tilted his head slightly and paused for several seconds.

Silently, Emlyn White saw the surrounding scene shatter and vanish rapidly, like panes of glass breaking at the same time.

Leonard gave a laugh, pointed inside the house, and said, “Come in before we talk.”