Chapter 247: Chaos

Chapter 247: Chaos

The entire forest was withering, as though something capable of destroying all things were about to descend.

Just as that arm was about to fully emerge, thick bolts of silver-white lightning fell out of nowhere, illuminating the entire mountain peak. They connected with crackling sounds, transforming into a cage that seemed to exist only in myths and legends, enveloping the black, sticky arm within.

High above, dark clouds gathered with terrifying speed. Brows, eyes, and a mouth grew from them, as though a human face were hidden inside!

The massive commotion just now had been sensed by Sea King Jahn Kottman inside Bayam. Without hesitation, he had acted from afar and instructed the Mandated Punishers to activate the corresponding Sealed Artifact.

Reinette Tinekerr’s figure was squeezed out of the void. The complicated, dim-black dress she wore was not disordered in the slightest.

She raised her left hand, and two blond-haired, red-eyed heads instantly flew back, landing upon the severed surfaces of her neck. The remaining two continued entangling the large black infant whose skin was swollen, dry, and wrinkled.

As the severed surfaces at her neck wriggled and connected with the two corresponding cut faces, her figure abruptly expanded, as though she had transformed into a Gothic castle. Patterns, vines, and decorations appeared over its surface, interweaving into a mysterious, evil feeling that could not be looked at directly.

Klein tightly shut his eyes and held Travels of Groselle in front of his face. Even though he poured spirituality into it, he still could not entirely eliminate all influence. His body trembled uncontrollably, and grain after grain protruded from his skin.

Only then did he finally confirm that the aftereffect of using Death Knell earlier was “fear of the dark.”

For the next six hours, he would gain no more weaknesses.

“Good thing the weakness is only impossible to overcome. It doesn’t mean I can’t resist it at all for a short time…” Klein shut his eyes with all his strength, tears sliding down uncontrollably.

He did not spend too much thought on this problem, because the situation had already developed to the point of being both extremely dangerous and extremely chaotic.

“The one who descended just now seems stronger than Sea King. That should be an angel. However, His condition also doesn’t seem especially good. He didn’t directly manifest, but is acting through the spirit world…

“He couldn’t make it here in time, so He could only consider this method? Good thing I received Orange Light’s warning beforehand. Otherwise, if things dragged on, the consequences would be unimaginable!” Thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind. His first reaction was to use this opportunity to flee and pull a safe distance away.

However, he knew that a hurried retreat without preparation would be dangerous as well.

If the Rose School of Thought angel gives up attacking and retracts His arm, Sea King Jahn Kottman will have no reason to continue entangling or pursuing Him. After all, this isn’t facing a Saint, where he can consider forcefully keeping the opponent behind. If that happens, relying only on Miss Messenger Reinette Tinekerr will make it very difficult to stop Him. At that point, He can keep chasing me!

I have to give Him more trouble and make sure He cannot extricate Himself for a short time. Then I can use that chance to escape the waters around Blue Mountain Island!

As thoughts churned, Klein followed his predetermined emergency plan. Holding Travels of Groselle, he put away the Death Knell revolver, rolled several more times, and arrived beside the iron cigarette case.

He poked it with a finger, removing the wall of spirituality, opened the case, and shook the Tinder glove contaminated by the True Creator out into the air—toward the source of danger!

Immediately afterward, Klein used Travels of Groselle to shield himself from above. He opened his eyes and took out a copper whistle.

It was not Azik’s copper whistle, but the Numinous Episcopate copper whistle he had obtained in Backlund from a mysticism beginner. It came from a resurrected member of the Numinous Episcopate.

Back then, Klein had divined what would happen if he blew the copper whistle and sent a letter, receiving an extremely dangerous revelation!

At this moment, he intended to make “extremely dangerous” collide with “extremely dangerous,” creating an even more chaotic and advantageous situation!

He swiftly brought the copper whistle to his mouth and blew hard. Then, within his vision—which had Spirit Vision activated but did not dare look up—a skull with three dead-fish eyes emerged. Around it were black, jointed tentacles.

Without hesitation, Klein handed the messenger one white feather left behind by that resurrected Numinous Episcopate member.

He did not wait for the messenger to vanish. He immediately tensed his muscles, swung his arm, and threw hard, tossing that copper whistle upward into the air, toward the source of danger.

Once all that was done, he put away the iron cigarette case, rolled once more, sprang to his feet, and rushed straight toward the cliff. During this process, he always kept his head lowered and constantly changed position. He did not dare look at what was happening in midair at all, nor did he dare linger for even a moment!

When he passed the place where Blood Admiral Senor had fallen unconscious, Klein’s gaze suddenly froze. He discovered, stunned, that the pirate admiral had vanished!

In this chaotic situation, with no one helping him, this Wraith who had suffered grave injuries and could not maintain his spirit-body state had disappeared!

Without stopping, Klein swept his gaze around and saw a little dark-red blood flashing with eerie green scattered on the ground ahead. That area was precisely where Travels of Groselle had earlier fallen!

No way… Blood Admiral’s blood splashed a few drops onto the travelogue’s cover? That caused him to be sucked inside? Klein frowned, not thinking this was a good thing.

He feared that the angels and Saints sent by the Mother Tree of Desire might use the Blood Admiral inside Travels of Groselle to track him down!

But it was also impossible for him to discard the book now. Without it, inside a battlefield where aftershocks and unknown fragments could fall from above at any moment, Klein did not believe he would necessarily be lucky enough to dodge everything.

“…Once I get away from here, I’ll enter in spirit-body form and resolve that hidden danger!” As several thoughts rose and fell, Klein, still running, kicked forward with his toe, shoveling up the mud stained with Senor’s blood. He reached out and grabbed a little of it.

This would be needed later to locate Blood Admiral’s position!

Thud, thud, thud!

Klein ran in a serpentine pattern, shielding the top of his head with Travels of Groselle and occasionally adjusting his movement according to his danger premonition.

This book blocked stray lightning, caught raindrops capable of corroding stone, and shielded him from terrifying gazes that looked over one after another. It helped Klein smoothly charge out of the forest that had lost all vitality and reach the edge of the cliff.

At that very instant, the surroundings abruptly turned dark—not the darkness of approaching rain, nor the darkness of a moonless, starless night. It was deathly still and filled with the smell of rot.

Muttering voices sounded from near and far, high and low, while in midair came the slow breathing of something unknown.

Terrified of the dark, Klein trembled. How could he dare look at what was happening above him? He could only, when lightning flashed, notice a few white feathers stained with pale-yellow grease slowly spiraling down nearby.

He stepped forward with his right foot, rushed off the cliff, and fell straight down. He dropped out of the darkness and saw light.

Then, he fell into a huge mouth that seemed to have been waiting for him for a very long time.

The mouth had no teeth. It suddenly closed and sank into the sea, following their prearranged agreement and swimming swiftly toward a reef outside Blue Mountain Island.

This was an enormous underwater creature with sixteen fins growing from its back.

In the lightless darkness, Klein instinctively wanted to curl into a ball and tremble helplessly. He barely managed to restrain that emotion and took out the Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic he had prepared to deal with the Wraith.

It had come from the previous owner of the glove.

Pure light radiated from the transparent stone-like object, dispelling Klein’s fear.

He was just about to consider whether he should wait for the conclusion or try to do something else when he suddenly felt the back of his hand itch.

He hurriedly lowered his head and looked, only to see the pores there densely open. A little white fluff grew out.

The fluff grew rapidly, as if about to become feathers!

Klein immediately felt every part of his body begin itching!

That thing brought by the copper whistle really is dangerous! Having some experience in such matters, Klein immediately stood up inside the mouth of the undersea creature, walked four steps counterclockwise, and softly recited the incantation.

His spirit body once again passed through the gray-white fog filled with countless ravings and howls. Streams of black-green gas drilled out from his body, struggled with all their might, yet vanished without the ability to resist.

After returning to the palace like a giant’s residence, Klein examined his spirit-body state again and discovered that he had returned to normal. There was not a trace of black-green gas, nor a single white feather.

Phew. It works… He exhaled, then immediately returned to the real world.

Under the illumination of the Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic, Klein saw that the white fluff on the back of his hand still existed, but it had already lost the ability to continue growing. There were more or less traces elsewhere on his body, but they were not too obvious.

“Mm. When Mr. Azik comes, there should be a way to resolve the remaining problem.” Klein relaxed slightly. In his heart, he drew a crimson moon and prayed for the Goddess’s blessing, hoping Mr. Azik would arrive quickly.

Just then, Reinette Tinekerr’s figure appeared before his eyes.

This Miss Messenger had three heads growing upon her neck and one carried in her hand. Compared with before, she appeared even more vivid.

She reached out her free left hand, grabbed Klein by the shoulder, and took him directly into the spirit world, swiftly shuttling through it.

Amid layered, vivid colors, Klein only felt slightly dizzy before he returned to reality and discovered that he was standing upon a reef.

Reinette Tinekerr’s four heads each swept him a glance and said:
“Already…” “safe…” “afterward…” “remember…” “to pay…”

After speaking, she vanished as though there were still something important for her to do.

She can do that too… If I’d known earlier, I would have directly had Miss Messenger take me away like this… But judging from her current state, she doesn’t seem to be in very good condition either. This probably isn’t a form or method she would normally use… As Klein sighed inwardly, he placed the Priest of Light Beyonder characteristic into his pocket, leaving only Travels of Groselle outside.

He was just about to survey the surroundings and confirm his current location when another hand stretched out and grabbed his shoulder.

Klein jumped in fright and hurriedly turned his head, discovering that it was Mr. Azik.

Azik grabbed his shoulder and once again took him into the spirit world, speeding through those layered, vivid colors.

…Actually, I’m already safe… The corner of Klein’s mouth twitched once, but he did not say those words aloud.