Chapter 4: A Visit

Chapter 4: A Visit

On the Sea God, Liaval, Candice, and the other members of the City of Silver’s pathfinding team sat on chairs that did not quite suit them, vigilantly watching the “dwarves” moving to and fro around them.

Of course, they all knew these should be normal humans. After all, they were well aware that their own exaggerated height was a result of potions. Even so, they still felt that everyone aboard this ship was far too short, including Lord Danitz, who called himself a divine envoy. In the City of Silver, aside from young children, residents who had entered puberty but had not advanced to Sequence 6 averaged over 1.8 meters in height. There was no shortage of Beyonders who had reached more than two meters even at Sequence 9.

The ship’s slight swaying made these “half-giants” feel more or less unwell, but their strong physiques quickly helped them overcome the discomfort. Yet the contrast between the boundless sea outside the window and the lonely ship they were on made unease, fear, nervousness, and other emotions rise uncontrollably within them. It was like the first time they had ever participated in an exploration mission, with monsters hidden in the darkness all around them, ready to attack at any moment.

At that moment, Danitz entered the room that had been converted from a dining hall. Smiling at the tall figures, who sat stiffly in their odd clothing and remained cautious and guarded, he said,

“Your food is ready. Next, you can enjoy it to your hearts’ content.

“By the way, don’t forget the precautions I told you earlier. These waters are extremely dangerous.

“No need to stand up. Just stay seated.”

Seeing the young elder who called himself Derrick and several of the “half-giants” start to rise in order to speak with him in the most polite manner, Danitz quickly pressed both hands downward, stopping this uncivilized behavior.

If I had that height, I’d already be mocking everyone around me… Danitz muttered inwardly, then clapped his hands to signal the sailors to bring in the food.

A rich aroma immediately slipped into the noses of Derrick and the other residents of the City of Silver. It was the familiar smell of meat and mushrooms roasting, but mixed with certain indescribable, very strange, faintly stimulating scents.

The smell was so tempting that Liaval, Candice, and the others began salivating wildly. Their stomachs seemed to awaken all at once.

“Dixie-style roast meat.” Danitz pointed to a sailor entering through the doorway.

The sailor carried a large steel platter filled with pieces of roasted meat. Grease seeped from the surface, and the meat gleamed faintly golden. Cumin, basil, and other spices were sprinkled evenly over it.

“Steak, pan-fried meatfish, white bread, seafood consommé, light beer…” Danitz introduced the dishes one by one, then smiled. “You don’t need to worry about anything. You can completely open up your stomachs. We have more than enough food in reserve.”

After saying this, he glanced at the “half-giants” who seemed about to stand again, chuckled, and left the room.

Candice, with her neat short hair, had great difficulty pulling her gaze away from the food. She swallowed and asked, “Elder Derrick, what do we do now?”

Although Derrick believed that Mr. Fool’s divine envoy would not harm them, out of habit, he still gave a very cautious recommendation.

“Split into two groups. One group waits for the next meal. The other tries it now.”

“All right, Elder Derrick.” Candice shot to her feet. “I request to join the trial group!”

The list of ten people was quickly gathered. Candice and Liaval walked at the same time to the long table against the wall. With extraordinary tacit understanding, each picked up a piece of the so-called Dixie roast meat that looked the most tempting.

With one bite, the full juices, the aroma hidden within the grain of the meat, and the pure sensation of flesh formed a complex, layered experience in their mouths. After only chewing twice, they could not wait to swallow the food into their stomachs so they could take the next bite.

Compared with the meat mushrooms they had eaten before, this was delicious beyond description.

Before they knew it, the ten residents of the City of Silver had tears in their eyes, their vision blurred.

On the deck, Danitz gazed toward the safe route within the ruins of the divine war, considering how to settle these believers of Mr. Fool later.

Suddenly, a sailor ran over, panting.

“Lord Divine Envoy, they’ve finished eating and hope to have more!”

…Where did these people come from? Danitz froze for a moment before saying, “Prepare another serving for each of them.”

Seeing the sailor about to turn and leave, Danitz hurriedly added,

“Starting tomorrow, organize the crew to fish!”

…

On an uninhabited island in the Sonia Sea.

Klein had preliminarily adapted to his current state and restrained his spirituality. He planned to teleport back to Backlund and summon Arrodes the Magic Mirror to ask about certain matters.

He was not in a rush to bring the residents of Moon City to the outside world. He intended to wait until Danitz had settled the City of Silver’s advance group and gained sufficient experience before doing that. In any case, the path out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods had already been opened. By responding to prayers and relying on the Staff of the Stars, he could directly transfer the entirety of Moon City out.

Of course, if that door closed again, Klein still had a solution: first transfer the residents of Moon City to the Giant King’s residence and let them open the door themselves. Without the first Blasphemy Slate and the Dark Angel evil spirit, ordinary Beyonders could push the doors open.

As for whether the True Creator would interfere or obstruct them, Klein did not consider it. That Sequence 0 true god could already do so now, and Klein was unwilling and unable to stop Him.

Furthermore, Klein believed the True Creator’s current focus was not on this matter. His most urgent task was to seize Amon and retrieve the first Blasphemy Slate.

“Strictly speaking, this is a family melodrama…” Klein lampooned inwardly. Then he grabbed Creeping Hunger out of the air and put this Sealed Artifact, which had accompanied him for a long time, onto his left palm.

His body swiftly turned transparent and vanished.

In the spirit world, where colors were rich and layered upon one another, Klein moved at high speed among indescribably shaped figures, approaching the coordinates that represented Backlund.

Suddenly, he stopped. Standing within chaotic space that lacked up, down, left, right, front, or back, he turned his gaze toward the seven pure lights of different colors occupying the highest point of the spirit world.

“Before, because my Sequence was too low, I didn’t dare wander randomly through the spirit world, so I never tried to visit the Seven Lights, who have shown me a certain degree of goodwill. Now it seems I can… They themselves are embodiments of various kinds of knowledge, and they have lived in the spirit world for who knows how many years. Perhaps they know quite a few secrets…” Just as this thought flashed through Klein’s mind, light suddenly rose before his eyes, revealing an elderly man in an orange robe.

The old man was plump, with a short white beard, and looked extremely amiable.

He glanced at Klein and nodded with a smiling expression.

“Your Highness, please allow me to introduce myself. You should still remember me. I am the Orange Light, Hilarion.”

You were very thin last time I saw you… Klein lampooned inwardly while smiling as he asked,

“You seem to have foreseen that I wished to visit you?”

Hilarion made no attempt to hide it and answered frankly with a smile.

“The spirit world itself is formed from the interweaving of all kinds of information. Some comes from the past, some originates from the present, and some indicates certain futures. Whether it is divination or prophecy, most methods are actually making use of the spirit world first, and only secondarily relying on glimpses into fate.”

What the Orange Light meant was that since Klein was in the spirit world, had formed the intention to visit them, and was preparing to put that intention into action, corresponding information would inevitably be produced. This would allow the Seven Lights, who to a certain degree controlled the spirit world, to sense it and make a prophecy.

Klein was not surprised at all. He nodded lightly and asked, “Aside from you, who else wishes to meet me?”

He had originally intended to use honorifics, but considering the Seven Lights’ attitude and the way the Orange Light addressed him, he gave up on that idea in order to maintain the status of Sefirah Castle’s representative.

The Orange Light, Hilarion, immediately laughed.

“All of us. All of us, Your Highness. You don’t mind, do you?”

Klein shook his head and replied with great courtesy, “Of course not. It is my honor.”

The moment his words fell, rays of light of different colors rose around Hilarion, transforming into the appearances of different elderly men.

“Your Highness, please allow me to introduce them to you.” After seeing Klein nod, the Orange Light pointed to an extremely dignified elder wearing a deep red robe. “This is the Red Light, Al Moria.”

The one who once answered my question… Klein immediately smiled, releasing his gratitude and goodwill.

Hilarion then introduced them one by one: the Yellow Light Venithan, the Blue Light Cuthumi, the Green Light Serapis, the Indigo Light Hesu, and the Violet Light Saint-Germain.

The Yellow Light Venithan… So this is the one who gave the Abraham family’s ancestors the prophecy of the apocalypse? Klein glanced at the thin elder in a lemon-yellow robe with a long white beard, smiled, and said,

“Then let us sit and talk.”

As he spoke, he lifted his right hand.

The surrounding area immediately lit with points of dark-red firelight. They came from a fireplace burning high-quality charcoal.

That firelight then illuminated an armchair, a grayish-yellow carpet, cabinets, sofas, a tea table, plaster statues, white porcelain teacups, and other objects, sketching out a typical, warm Backlund-style living room.

“Please sit.” Facing the Seven Lights, Klein smiled and gestured toward the sofas and high-back chairs.

After the Seven Lights had each taken a seat, Klein sat down in the armchair, picked up a teacup, and said in a natural manner,

“To be honest, I have always wanted to visit the seven of you. I simply never found the opportunity. Now, I have finally realized that wish.”

“This is also our wish.” The Orange Light seemed to be the most cheerful and outgoing among the Seven Lights and immediately answered on behalf of all his companions.

Oh, it does feel like I’ve fulfilled someone else’s wish… Klein’s heart stirred with delight. Testing the waters, he asked,

“Seven esteemed ones, what do you know about the cosmos—or rather, the Great Old Ones and Outer Deities?”

The comparatively younger-looking Indigo Light Hesu, who wore a linen robe, answered gravely,

“Your Highness, the Great Old Ones currently gazing upon our world include the Mother Goddess of Depravity, the Mother Tree of Desire, the Son of Chaos, the Primordial Hunger, the Circle of Inevitability, the Supernova Dominator, the Inextinguishable Ravings, the Monarch of Decay, the High-Dimensional Overseer…”

…Isn’t that a bit too many? Klein was left somewhat dazed.

Translator’s note: Some names are rendered by meaning rather than strict transliteration to preserve clarity and avoid awkward forms.