Chapter 206: It Never Came

Chapter 206: It Never Came

After getting onto the deck, entering the cabin, and finding their room, Klein was just about to speak when Anderson Hood preempted him.

“Something’s not right… If I were a passenger on this ship and saw an adventurer who had just offended the Undying King board the same ship, I’d definitely be scared and nervous. I’d either find the captain or first mate to persuade you to change ships, or I’d switch ships myself. But look—they’re all very calm.”

This fellow is very sharp. When it comes to certain details, he has remarkable insight… Is this what a true Conspirer is like? Usually he laughs and jokes, his mouth is cheap, and he seems optimistic, but in reality, he silently grasps the situation and completes preparations… Klein opened the room door with the key while considering whether this ship truly had a problem.

At that moment, Anderson raised his hand and lightly slapped his own face. He gave a dry laugh.

“I understand the reason!

“The time gap is too short. The matter has only spread among some adventurers and pirates. Ordinary passengers and the sailors aboard this ship have no idea about it at all. Also, anyone who clearly knows your appearance is bound to be well-informed, not an ordinary person.”

Oh, you’ve learned to ask and answer yourself… Do you know that time is life? Klein inwardly mocked twice and entered the first-class cabin.

It was not that he wanted to live comfortably. Rather, he had taken into account that he had to keep an eye on Anderson Hood and prevent the unluckiest Hunter’s misfortune from bringing disaster upon the passenger liner. That was why he had asked the other man to book first-class.

Carrying his suitcase, Klein walked to the door of the master bedroom. Pointing toward the guest room and servants’ room, he said to Anderson, “Pick one yourself.”

Anderson froze for two seconds, his mouth half-open.

“You seem very practiced at this…”

Of course. I have rich experience getting along with Hunters. If Danitz were here, I’d directly assign him the servants’ room… Klein made no response and entered the master bedroom.

At 1:30, the steam whistle blew, and the passenger liner departed on time.

After hanging up his outer coat, Klein, wearing only trousers, a shirt, and a waistcoat, left the master bedroom and came to the living room. He gazed at the horizon outside the window.

Azure waves undulated there, spreading inch by inch along the outline of Toscarter Island, rising and falling in the wind.

“This way, you can’t observe the whole situation.” Anderson moved over and said with a smile, “You can only confirm one side, while the Death Knell might come from the other side, or from the front. The best method is still to climb up to the lookout. Haha, there’s definitely a sailor there, but for an experienced Hunter or pirate, there are a hundred ways to deceive his senses!”

Klein turned and looked at Anderson Hood without expression.

“You are quite right.

“I’ll leave that matter to you.”

“Huh?” Anderson looked blank.

He immediately recovered and asked in surprise, “You have no other method to observe?”

Without a way to observe, how exactly is he setting a trap for the Undying King?

“No,” Klein said, nodding with extraordinary frankness. “I can only rely on you.”

…Just who gave you the courage to dare leave under the Undying King’s gaze? For a moment, Anderson was actually speechless.

While muttering, “Don’t stop me. I’m going to jump ship,” he left the cabin and headed straight for the area below the lookout.

In theory, the Undying King Agalito—or rather, the Death Knell—should already have detected my malice and sensed the danger originating from me. In that case, will they come attack? Will they believe I’m only at the level I’ve displayed, with no real helpers? Or will they suspect that some powerful person capable of interfering with danger premonition has stepped in? Klein drew his gaze back from the doorway and once again looked toward the sea outside.

After a while, he suddenly sensed something and quickly activated Spirit Vision, turning his head to the side.

A tall skeletal messenger emerged from the floor, the black flames in its eye sockets flickering slightly.

Only its upper body was exposed, so it was not much taller than Klein. Looking at him at eye level, it handed over the letter gripped in its hand.

Mr. Azik replied rather quickly this time… Klein politely nodded and accepted the neatly folded paper.

After the skeletal messenger collapsed and disappeared, he unfolded the letter in the sunlight from the window:

“…I am very glad that you have advanced. Your travel experiences were even more interesting than I imagined.

“That sea region is indeed extremely dangerous. I vaguely remember that it may be connected to the source of the Cataclysm. As for why the ancient Death’s aura remains there, I am not very clear on it.

“I will keep your reminder in mind. Before I fully recover my memories, I will not enter that sea. The True Creator’s ravings are not pleasant to hear.

“I am somewhat interested in the ring in the hands of Admiral of Hell, but I have recently become entangled in a matter from the past, so it may be some time before I visit him…”

Reading up to this point, Klein could not help revealing a smile.

When I reply to Mr. Azik, I’ll tell him I have a way to lock onto Admiral of Hell Ludwell’s location. When he pays a visit, he absolutely must bring me along. Wait, that’s bad. I haven’t divined the Murloc Cufflink’s whereabouts recently. I don’t know whether Ludwell has discovered it or whether he has already thrown it away… Mm, after confirming the Death Knell won’t come after us, I’ll go above the gray fog to divine it…

His gaze shifted downward, and Klein continued reading:

“The ancient documents taken from Katarina did indeed mention the artificial Death project. To put it simply, the former imperial family of the Balam Empire, who now form the higher ranks of the Numinous Episcopate, drew inspiration from how the Hidden Sage suddenly came alive and gained a personality. They hope to make Death, who is currently only a concept, undergo something similar.

“This is possible, because Beyonder characteristics are indestructible. Death’s fall does not mean the corresponding characteristics and authorities are completely lost. They still exist, but they have returned to a conceptual and abstract state, similar to the earliest form of the Hidden Sage.

“Judging from those documents, the corresponding research had yet to make a breakthrough, but that was already several hundred years ago…

“The Sequence 4 potion corresponding to the Seer pathway is called Bizarro Sorcerer. The powerhouses of the Antigonus and Zaratul families left a deep impression on me. Even though I have forgotten the details now, I can still recall that faint feeling of fear.

“As for where to obtain the formula and ingredients, I am not clear. Perhaps you can consider switching to a neighboring pathway. In that regard, I have already recalled some things. What you may choose are the Apprentice pathway’s Sequence 4, Secrets Sorcerer, and the Marauder pathway’s Sequence 4, Parasite. However, I vaguely remember that these three pathways should only be interchangeable starting from Sequence 3…”

As expected… Only the magic mirror Arrodes remains as a hope… Klein forced the corners of his mouth upward, revealing a smile.

After reading the reply, he took out paper and pen and quickly wrote down the contents he had thought of earlier. At the same time, he asked about the specific definition of a “mythical creature.”

He did not rush to summon the messenger. He placed the paper and fountain pen down, intending to add a request for help into the letter if the Death Knell appeared. That way, after using the Sea God Scepter to hold out from afar for a while, he might be able to wait until Mr. Azik shuttled through the spirit world and arrived to rescue him. At that time, the two of them working together would have some hope of happily taking the Death Knell as a prize.

The reason Klein did not write that in advance was because Devils could sense danger. If he did, they would not come over. Of course, whether or not the other party could sense the exact nature of his current malice was something Klein did not know.

After waiting patiently for several hours, Klein heard the sound of a door opening. Turning back, he saw Anderson rubbing the side of his head, his expression complicated as he walked in.

“The Death Knell never appeared. We’ve now completely left Toscarter Island’s waters…”

The Undying King actually didn’t take revenge… Gehrman Sparrow is even more unfathomable than I imagined! Anderson sighed inwardly.

Klein nodded with slight regret. He walked to the coat rack, took his outer coat and hat, and prepared to head to the dining room.

…

Inside a secret room, a Red Gloves team was discussing the case they had been investigating recently.

“Requiemer” Soest held a piece of chalk and pointed at the blackboard.

“This demon murder case has certain common points with the assassination of Duke Negan in Backlund.

“First, a human skin carrying an aura and presence of its own appeared. This is something that did not exist in many previous demon-related cases.

“Second, there is more than one Demon involved. They took turns wearing the human skin and carrying out normal activity, providing cover for their companion’s evil deeds.

“Finally, they are all suspected to belong to the Beria family…”

At that moment, in the corner, Leonard seemed to be listening seriously, but because the captain had mentioned Backlund, his mind uncontrollably returned to earlier events.

After witnessing the underground ruin be completely destroyed, he had been about to use his free time to investigate the mysterious great detective Sherlock Moriarty, preparing to begin with the man’s former landlord. But their team had received an urgent mission and started pursuing a newly occurred serial murder case, forcing them to leave Backlund.

“Leonard, what do you think?” After Soest finished, he named Leonard Mitchell to continue.

Leonard turned his head somewhat blankly, glanced at the content on the blackboard, and quickly organized his words.

“I believe this is not merely a form of cover. It may also contain the requirements of a ritual. Captain Soest, as you know, Devils have many blasphemous and evil rituals.”

“That makes sense.” Soest signaled for the next team member to speak.

Phew. Good thing the old man recently tutored me in demonology… Leonard let out a breath and began listening seriously to his teammates’ discussion.

…

After two days of sailing, the passenger liner arrived safely at Olavi Island.

After checking into an inn, Klein said to Anderson Hood, “Wait here. That demigod does not like unfamiliar visitors.”

He did not want to expose the Life School’s contact.

“I hope I can wait until you return alive.” Anderson bitterly blessed himself.

The corner of Klein’s mouth moved slightly. He gave up the rest of what he had planned to say and took a carriage straight to the Church of Storms’ Saint Draco Cathedral.

It was not long before he once again saw the tall, extremely asymmetrical, extremely ugly bellringer Kanoken inside the small room in that magnificent bell tower.

After hearing Gehrman Sparrow explain his purpose, the stooped Kanoken nodded.

“I will take you to Councilor Ricciardo. His injuries have already healed, and he is no longer in the original place.”

“All right.” Klein had only just replied when he suddenly remembered that Kanoken was a product of human refinement by the Church of the Earth Mother, and so he asked, “Do you know Frank Lee?”