Chapter 61: Impossible to Imagine

Chapter 61: Impossible to Imagine

The carriage moved slowly along the road. Audrey’s gaze drifted unconsciously toward the window again.

Quite a few pedestrians stood at the roadside, staring at the horses pulling the carriage with eyes that seemed almost to glow green. The lucky ones who had successfully received food concealed their parcels as best they could while hurrying across the street toward their homes.

Teams of police officers in black-and-white checkered uniforms patrolled the streets, revolvers at their waists and short clubs in their hands, intimidating those who were tempted to take risks.

“Recently, we don’t dare go out alone anymore…” Annie, the personal maid beside Audrey, muttered softly.

Audrey gave a faint nod but did not respond.

After a while, the carriage arrived at Phelps Street and stopped at the edge of the square in front of Saint Samuel Cathedral.

The flocks of white doves that had once gathered there were nowhere to be seen. The square looked utterly empty.

The Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, the Loen Poverty Relief Foundation established afterward, and the Loen Medical Charity Foundation had all moved from 22 Phelps Street into several small rooms inside the cathedral, because their original building had collapsed during a recent air raid.

For the staff of the three foundations, that period was a terrifying memory. If they had not each left 22 Phelps Street ahead of time for different reasons, they would already have become victims.

After stepping down from the carriage and passing through the gate, Audrey saw a thin-faced young woman with black hair and brown eyes coming to greet her.

Before the other party could speak, Audrey asked first, “Melissa, is there still food available for distribution?”

Melissa’s expression was grave. She shook her head.

“Even the disabled soldiers we provide relief to can no longer receive the full amount of food…”

Audrey’s emerald-green eyes dimmed. She did not reveal her helplessness or weakness, only nodding slightly.

“I will think of a way.”

…

“From the City of Silver…

“From outside the cursed land…”

Gehrman Sparrow’s words echoed in the ears of Adal, Xin, Rus, and the other members of Moon City’s hunting team. They felt as though they were dreaming and could not regain themselves for a long time.

Just as Adal gradually recovered his reason and was considering what he should say, Xin, who had been born without a nose, already asked a series of questions in excitement:

“Where is the City of Silver? What is it like? How far is it from here?

“How many normal people are still outside the cursed land?”

Klein swept a glance over her and answered in an emotionless voice, “The City of Silver is on the other side of this cursed land. They discovered a kind of plant that can be safely eaten, called black-faced grass. That allowed them to stabilize their population and effectively explore the depths of darkness in search of a way out.

“Recently, they found some mushrooms as well. Those mushrooms can use the flesh and blood of monsters as nourishment and produce all kinds of fruits free of toxins and madness.

“The City of Silver has further freed itself from madness. Once the new generation grows up, even in old age, they will not lose control so easily…”

These words left Adal, Xin, and the others desolate and empty, as though their own perseverance had lost all meaning.

The life in the City of Silver that Gehrman Sparrow described was the most beautiful scene they could possibly imagine, yet others had obtained it so simply.

“…Do they have deformed newborns?” Xin asked in a dreamlike voice.

Klein shook his head.

“Almost none.”

“Do their parents, when their physical condition declines—no, when they grow old—walk into the depths of darkness by themselves?” Adal subconsciously followed with another question.

Wearing a black trench coat and top hat while carrying the lantern, Klein answered, “No.

“Because they bear a curse of kin-slaying. If a life does not end in the hands of a blood relative, it will mutate into a terrible evil spirit or monster.”

The members of Moon City’s hunting team finally regained a sense of reality. Their hearts were like lake water slowly heating, gradually releasing one bubble after another.

Those bubbles were fragile, hollow, and would burst with a single touch. In truth, there was nothing inside them. Yet they shimmered with something called hope and light.

Rus, whose two eyes were nearly squeezed together, could not help repeating Xin’s later question:

“How many normal people are still outside the cursed land?”

Klein looked at them with a rather complicated gaze and said, “Most people are basically normal. They do not have to worry about monster attacks at every moment. They do not have to fear being in darkness. They do not become mad with old age. They do not bear all kinds of curses. Each day, they wake to see sunlight. Each day, they have enough normal food. Each night, the crimson moon rises…”

But all of this is now suffering destruction… Klein silently added in his heart.

This time, Adal, Xin, Rus, and the others were somewhat lost. The picture Gehrman Sparrow described was something they seemed able to imagine, yet also unable to imagine. It was like when they read the few remaining ancient books—they could grasp a certain spirit within them, but could not truly understand certain contents.

What was the sun? What was the crimson moon? They had no concept of them at all.

Yet daily normal food, no burden of curses, no constant worry about monster attacks, no fear of being plunged into darkness, no madness in old age—these were beautiful things they yearned for day and night.

There is still such a place in this world? Is that the heavenly kingdom recorded in ancient texts? Is this land truly cursed? The members of Moon City’s hunting team once again fell silent.

Among them, some opened their mouths yet did not know what to ask. Some wanted to bring Gehrman Sparrow back to Moon City and tell the High Priest, tell everyone, of this news—but they also feared drawing danger there.

Throughout this process, they never abandoned their vigilance or lowered their guard.

Klein was not surprised by this attitude at all. On the contrary, he believed that a civilization of the Forsaken Land of the Gods able to survive until now should act exactly like this.

Carrying the lantern, he stepped to the left, attempting to circle around these humans dressed in beast skins or strange materials and continue east.

No matter what kind of story these people had, no matter whether they were worth helping in passing, he intended to investigate, listen, and consider it later. His spiritual intuition told him that his destination was already near: the legendary Western Continent lay only two or three hours ahead.

The instant Klein stepped forward, Adal and the others immediately bent their backs, preparing to defend and attack. But they did not wait for Gehrman Sparrow to approach. Instead, they watched him move left for a dozen meters, then turn and continue forward.

Seeing that young man in the strange black clothing, strange black hat, and strange transparent lantern gradually move away, the dim yellow light shrinking more and more, Adal, whose face had many fleshy tumors, went through several shifts of expression before shouting loudly:

“What exactly are you?”

Klein did not turn around. Carrying the lantern that released dim yellow light, he walked into the depths of darkness while speaking normally:

“A missionary.

“One who spreads my Lord’s radiance.”

Adal, Xin, and the others looked at one another, all showing confusion in their expressions.

They hesitated for quite some time. Just as that dim yellow flame was nearly reduced to a speck, all of them instinctively stepped forward and followed behind Klein.

They did not dare come close, yet did not want to lose him. Carrying the food they had hunted earlier, they silently advanced in a manner that resembled surveillance, defense, and following all at once. Klein walked neither quickly nor slowly, maintaining roughly the same pace. He did not wait for them, nor did he attempt to shake them off.

In this way, both sides walked with extreme quiet beneath sparse flashes of lightning. At some unknown point, Rus and another member of the hunting team broke away from the group. Carrying beast-hide lanterns and the food they had obtained, they changed direction and silently vanished into the boundless darkness.

Time passed minute by minute. At last, Klein stopped.

With the help of lightning that crossed the sky, he saw a stretch of grayish-white fog frozen several hundred meters away.

This fog connected with the ground and extended all the way into the sky, as though it had no top.

At the same time, the fog stretched toward both sides, without visible end.

Klein focused on it for a very long time. Even when darkness interrupted his view, he continued slowly lifting his head. Only after the second bolt of lightning faded did he withdraw his gaze.

Behind this fog, or perhaps within it, is the vanished “Western Continent”? Klein thought solemnly. Even his breathing involuntarily slowed.

Carrying the lantern, he continued forward until its dim yellow light could illuminate the solidified fog.

There was no need for any other attempt. Klein’s Seer intuition told him that the grayish-white fog was an invisible barrier, not something that could be passed through by ordinary methods.

After some thought, he extended his right hand and grabbed again and again into the darkness ahead and to the side.

After four or five attempts, Klein dragged a black cane inlaid with various gemstones out of the air.

This was the Staff of the Stars, the terrifying sealed artifact Klein had obtained in exchange for the Box of the Great Old Ones, now numbered 0-62!

Of course, what Klein had summoned at present was only the image of the Staff of the Stars from the gaps of history.

In this way, even if an unwanted image surfaced in his mind and was about to trigger a corresponding effect, he could immediately end his maintenance of the historical projection and terminate the danger in time.

For an Ancient Scholar, this was the best way to use a Grade 0 sealed artifact in daily situations. Its drawback was that the duration was limited: at present, it could not exceed three minutes, and its effects were somewhat weaker than the original. Having a marionette hold the Staff of the Stars could not avoid the negative influence, because a marionette required control, and control would almost inevitably transmit images.

Naturally, if he were fighting a prepared battle, Klein would not use it this way. That would occupy one of his precious three summoning slots. Furthermore, although the Staff of the Stars currently belonged to him, it only belonged to him by force and remained in a sealed state. Combined with the fact that this Grade 0 sealed artifact itself was quite high in level, Klein could not summon it successfully in a single attempt. It often required anywhere from three to six attempts. In the intensity of combat, that required a sufficient opening and was not so easy.

Precisely because of that, when performing a prepared “show,” he would hypnotize himself beforehand, use the Staff of the Stars in a special state, and leave the chances to summon historical projections for familiar angels such as Miss Messenger, Mr. Azik, Lady Arianna, and Will Auceptin.

Holding the black cane inlaid with gemstones, Klein naturally pictured an illusory Door slowly opening in his mind.

The gemstones on the cane immediately flashed with faint light. On the surface of the grayish-white fog, an unreal gate was rapidly outlined.

The gate opened soundlessly. Behind it was still gray fog.

“Opening a door” does not work… Klein was not particularly surprised by the result, but he was still a little disappointed.

After thinking briefly, he prepared to change methods.

Yet just as he thought, the Staff of the Stars activated on its own in response to the image that appeared.