Chapter 33: Klein’s Advantage

Chapter 33: Klein’s Advantage

“…”

Klein once again experienced, firsthand, why Amon was called the God of Mischief.

At that instant, he could not even muster the desire to lampoon. He only wanted to immediately end his maintenance of the historical projection and get rid of the Amon before him—no, the Amons.

The parasitized charred corpse wiped away the soot on its face and, before Klein could vanish, said with a smile, “There is no need to hurry. You are only a projection from the gaps of history. I cannot truly parasitize you. And you should also understand very well that I am not alone. It will be difficult for you to mount an effective counterattack.”

“What exactly do you want to say?” Klein, carrying the simple lantern, fell silent for a moment. Then, picking up one statue fragment that was black on the outside and dark red within, he cautiously asked the question.

At this point, Amon had already turned into his own appearance. The only problem was that His skin was still rather black.

He adjusted the monocle carved from crystal and chuckled.

“You know that I know you are searching for that Dark Demonic Wolf, trying to obtain a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic from It. I am also quite interested in the matter. How about this: let us play another game and see who can obtain it first.”

What meaning is there in that? If I don’t play this game, will I stop searching? Will you stop thinking of ways to seize it? Klein calmly waited two seconds, then shook his head.

“I refuse.”

He had no intention at all of hearing what terms Amon would offer. The more words one listened to from a top-tier deceiver, the more one would lose.

Amon showed not the slightest anger. Smiling, He shook His head.

“You will regret this. I originally planned that, if I won, I would use one Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic plus one Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic to exchange for Sefirah Castle. I would also give you some time in advance to transfer that secret gathering of your organization.

“As for now, I can only consider directly stealing your fate and shouldering the corrosion from the source. Well, although that is dangerous, it is exciting enough. I am already prepared to accept it. We shall see who becomes the dominant one in the end. With my father’s experience as reference, I think I will not perform too badly.”

…What? Corrosion from the source? The experience of the ancient Sun God? Klein had originally intended to stop discussing topics related to the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic and Sefirah Castle with Amon, but his heart stirred at those words.

He recalled Amon’s description just now and could not help asking, “Does the source refer to the Original Creator?”

He urgently wished to know exactly what unbearable fate Sefirah Castle would bring him.

Amon pinched the upper and lower edges of His monocle, studied Klein for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

“I think it is better that I do not directly answer this question, because you will not believe a single word I say.”

Then say it! I’ll judge whether it is true or false myself! Klein suppressed the urge to blurt that out and calmly replied, “Perhaps you simply have not yet fabricated a reason.”

Amon did not mind at all. He smiled.

“You may think so if you wish.

“Heh. Sometimes, truths discovered by oneself are far more convincing than those told by others. If you have the time, you may wander more through the Forsaken Land of the Gods. You should discover many clues. Of course, if you have the courage to enter Chernobyl, you will learn even more.”

…

Klein did not continue asking. He stared for a while at the collapsed church bathed in dim yellow light and said as though casually, “Did the Dark Demonic Wolf migrate in a hurry because It discovered your existence?”

Amon nodded lightly.

“Not only mine. It also sensed the Hanged Man’s gaze. It has hidden in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for several thousand years and is extremely sensitive to matters like this.”

A Sequence 2, perhaps even Sequence 1 angel, can only skulk around in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and scrape out an existence… The living conditions here are truly harsh beyond imagination… Klein inwardly sighed with two idioms, then changed the subject.

“You must have left more than one avatar in the City of Silver. Why did you not attempt to stop me from reviving there?

“Why not send a stronger avatar over?”

Amon pressed the lower edge of His monocle with His right index finger and laughed.

“That would have made you choose to revive in the outside world, causing considerable trouble for my subsequent pursuit.

“Whereas if I—if we—relax slightly, then because a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic exists in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, there is a high probability that you would revive here. In the game that follows, the only accidents that need consideration are the Hanged Man, Ouroboros, and the others.”

Just as I thought… Klein asked thoughtfully, “Even within the same region, once the distance exceeds a certain limit, your main body and avatars should also be unable to fuse instantly or exchange positions?

“The reason you were able to switch back to your main body immediately after entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods was because the abnormal movement of Sefirah Castle also interfered with this place, allowing your main body to sense it and wait at the entrance in advance?”

Amon smiled as He listened, neither confirming nor denying. Instead, He asked, “Guess whether that is the case.

“Guess whether I have already become my main body now.”

Klein raised his right fist to press lightly against the area between his mouth and nose. After thinking for a few seconds, a smile appeared on his face.

“I guess that your other avatars are currently arranging the corresponding ritual, allowing your main body to descend here directly…”

Before he finished speaking, his figure rapidly blurred, then broke down and dissipated.

The maintenance of this image from the gaps of history had been ended.

In the wilderness outside the ancient city of Nois, the air around the place where Klein was hiding suddenly stirred. One illusory monocle after another appeared in midair.

They densely watched Klein’s figure, as though saying that they had finally found him.

Yet that Klein’s figure also quickly faded and vanished.

As early as when Amon put the monocle back over His right eye, Klein’s main body had already returned from ancient history to the real world. Assisted by “Paper Figurine Angels,” he had swiftly fled using Flame Jump and other Beyonder powers.

The reason the historical image that had spoken with Amon could converse relatively normally was that it was, in essence, a marionette. It was Gehrman Sparrow transformed from the projection of Qonas Kilgor, with Worms of Spirit from history inside its body, controlled by the Klein projection outside the city.

As for Klein’s true body, while fleeing into the distance, he repeatedly entered the gaps of history, allowing the projection outside the city to intermittently gain consciousness and maintain control over the marionette.

This was why the Klein conversing with Amon would, from time to time, sink into thought, stare somewhere for several seconds, or need to recall what the other party had just said.

When facing the God of Deceit, Klein did not dare be careless in the least!

After getting far from the ancient city of Nois, he circled around twice more, went above the gray fog, and used True Vision to examine the nearby situation. Only then did he slow his steps.

Corrosion from the source… I have no idea whether Amon is deceiving me… It is true that, sooner or later, I must enter Chernobyl to take a look. But that has to happen after I become a Miracle Invoker and possess some ability to protect myself. Otherwise, I would just be delivering myself to His door… Holding the lantern Danitz had sacrificed, Klein walked casually through an environment where the wild grass grew increasingly black.

“Thanks” to this experience, he finally obtained a relatively deep and direct understanding of how dangerous the Forsaken Land of the Gods truly was.

An extremely harsh environment of mutation, fanatical cultists, fallen angels, wandering groups of Amons everywhere, mythical creatures hidden in the darkness, an evil god watching everything from somewhere in this land, and residual divine powers that I can mobilize—but others can trigger as well… As expected of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The danger level far exceeds what I imagined before… After sighing inwardly, Klein returned his attention to the matter of the Dark Demonic Wolf.

To be frank, when it came to tracking this mythical creature, Klein did not think he possessed any advantage. Whether in terms of understanding the Forsaken Land of the Gods or grasping the target’s circumstances, he was far inferior to Amon, who had explored this place for more than a thousand years, and to the blessed and believers of the True Creator fighting on home ground.

“My only advantage is that I am on the Seer pathway just like the Dark Demonic Wolf, and I possess Sefirah Castle. The Beyonder characteristics between us have an intense tendency to converge, and this will produce some effect upon fate and judgment… However, Amon is a King of Angels of a neighboring pathway. The Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence also exists between Him and the Dark Demonic Wolf. The effect will not be much weaker than mine… Not much weaker…” Klein carefully considered for a while. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he found his greatest advantage.

That advantage was:

He was weak!

Compared to Amon, the True Creator’s attendants, and the Dark Demonic Wolf, he was weak!

Under normal circumstances, this was a disadvantage. But at certain times, it might not be unable to bring Klein what he wanted.

“My level is low and my strength is lacking. That means I, in turn, can become the Dark Demonic Wolf’s hunting target… It is difficult for me to find It, so I might as well let It come find me! An Ancient Scholar might not interest the Dark Demonic Wolf, but if this Ancient Scholar can also stir Sefirah Castle, that becomes a completely different matter… I can periodically leverage Sefirah Castle or leave behind gray fog aura, using myself as bait to fish the Dark Demonic Wolf out…” The more Klein thought about it, the more he felt this line of thought had the possibility of realization.

Of course, it would definitely be very dangerous. One careless mistake could lure Amon, or even the True Creator. And the Dark Demonic Wolf would very likely choose to observe secretly first before suddenly attacking, giving Klein no chance to prepare.

“Before adopting this method, I must make ample preparations… No hurry yet…” Klein breathed out and reached into the air, taking out one demonic wolf statue fragment that was black outside and dark red inside.

Earlier, because of Amon’s interference, he had not truly obtained this item. But that did not prevent him from pulling it out of the gaps of history, because he had already seen it and held it in his hand, and the level of the item itself was not very high.

At this moment, Klein intended to use this fragment to reverse-track the previous hiding place of the Dark Demonic Wolf, bit by bit grasping the other party’s habits and style of action.

In the wilderness ruled by endless darkness, Klein carried the lantern emitting dim yellow light. After briefly identifying the direction, he changed course and gradually ventured deeper.

…

Backlund, Hillston Borough.

Forsi, who had already gone out to “Travel” once, finally received a reply from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.