Chapter 91: The Genie

Chapter 91: The Genie

The light emitted by the lampwick was abnormally viscous, like flowing water mixed with a great deal of sugar. It surged upward and gathered into a twisted, blurry, pale-golden figure.

That figure instantly occupied the crimson star representing The Hermit, causing Klein to temporarily lose his sense of Admiral of Stars Cattleya.

Seated at the very head of the bronze long table, Klein’s eyes suddenly widened. A thought instinctively flashed through his mind:

As expected of the sealed artifact numbered 0-05!

Although the numbering of Grade 0 sealed artifacts was often based on the order in which they had been grasped or understood by the orthodox Churches, one had to remember that this naming system had only formally taken shape after the seven great Churches truly dominated the world—that is, from the end of the Fourth Epoch to the beginning of the Fifth Epoch.

At that time, most Grade 0 sealed artifacts had already appeared and had either been learned of or obtained by the orthodox Churches.

This created a particular situation: during the initial ordering, the more powerful, more terrifying, and more inconceivable Grade 0 sealed artifacts were placed toward the front. Then, within the same level, they were numbered according to when they had appeared.

In addition, although it was not true that the older an item was, the stronger it must be, anything that had survived from the First Epoch—a time even the ancient gods could not trace back to—inevitably contained secrets that even deities could not fully understand.

Because of this, to some extent, the earlier the number of a Grade 0 sealed artifact, the more frightening it was.

Of course, based on this rule, those Grade 0 sealed artifacts with numbers near the end were not necessarily inferior to the first ten. Perhaps they had simply been discovered late, or had entered the Churches’ hands late, when no earlier numbers were left empty for them, forcing them to be listed in normal order.

Just as that thought flashed through Klein’s mind, the golden figure’s gaze pierced through the crimson star representing The Hermit and turned toward the ancient palace above the gray fog.

Immediately afterward, “His” voice echoed out, exceptionally grand and majestic:

“Long time no see.”

Long time no see? Long time no see! He—He knows Sefirah Castle’s previous owner, that “Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun”? No, it should be He… that self-proclaimed eternal Genie… He can actually borrow Miss Hermit’s prayer to speak with me directly… Klein’s thoughts raced in an instant, and his mind abruptly tightened.

Relying on years of experience and the Clown’s abilities, his body suddenly relaxed. He leaned leisurely back against the chair.

Then Klein opened his mouth and gave a response.

“Heh.”

He did not answer in affirmation, nor did he defend himself by saying he was a fake. He merely displayed a disdainful, natural, lofty attitude.

The twisted, indistinct golden figure snorted.

“To think you have weakened to such a degree. No wonder I have not heard your honorific name spread for these past few millennia.”

Honorific name… weakened… He really does know Sefirah Castle’s previous owner… Was that an existence active during the First Epoch? As many thoughts emerged, Klein smiled and said, “What you see may not be the truth.”

“Haha.” The twisted, blurred golden figure laughed twice. “You still enjoy deceit as much as ever. But Sefirah Castle’s state cannot deceive me. Under normal circumstances, I would have no way to pierce through its outer protection and speak with you like this.”

“How do you know this is not something I deliberately displayed?” Klein asked in return, outwardly relaxed.

“There is no meaning in deceiving me,” the twisted, hazy golden Genie immediately responded.

…Why does this feel like a victim of fraud saying, “I have nothing left; I’ve even sold my kidney”? What exactly did Sefirah Castle’s previous owner, that existence suspected to be…