Examining the patina-green cross in his hand, Klein was certain it corresponded to at least a "Level 1" Sealed Artifact.
Besides its Purification effect, this magical item also possesses Demigod- level spells in the " The Sun " domain, such as "Sun Solar Flare." If its negative effects are used properly, they can solve many problems. For example, it can help some people who have mistakenly entered the extraordinary world and hope to get rid of their madness and return to normalcy, or help people who have taken an extra dose of the Potion to extract corresponding Beyonder Characteristic. However, the timing must be precisely grasped, otherwise it is easy to directly reduce one's own Sequence level.
Of course, the bodies and souls modified by the Potion will inevitably clash with the nature of ordinary people from time to time. Beyonder leave this "circle" by relying on the copper-green cross will undoubtedly experience certain aftereffects, the specifics of which will vary depending on the path taken, the Sequence of events, and the individual details.
This made Klein realize that this was the most useful and valuable negative effect he had ever seen.
For him, the only problem was that he couldn't carry the patina cross for long, not even if he gave it to the Marionette. That would cause the Marionette's Beyonder Characteristic to dissipate and its level to drop. And after becoming Marionette, he couldn't take any more Potion to advance, because his spirit body was essentially dead.
As for the Marionette transformed from ordinary beings, wearing this cross for a long time will cause them to "praise the Sun " and break free from control.
It can only be placed on the Gray Fog and taken out when needed... For the " Bizarro Sorcerer," this doesn't have much of an impact, since he doesn't perform without preparation... Afterwards, he'll confirm whether it corresponds to the " Unshadowed." If so, he'll sell it to the little " The Sun " after it has digested the " Light Priest " Potion. He believes that the chief of the City of Silver's " Council of Six " won't be stingy in exchanging it for an equivalent Sealed Artifact. The " The Sun " pathway is clearly more suitable for the " Forsaken Land of the Gods " than the other pathways... Klein thought to himself in a good mood, placing the patina-green cross back on the mottled long table.
He didn't confirm immediately, planning to do it again when he returned to 160 Böklund Street. At that time, he would also use " Dream Divination " to find out the origin of this Sealed Artifact. The Megro Manor was too close to the underground ruins, and might be within the sight of the royal Angel or even Adam. If he triggered any changes during the attempt, causing fluctuations in the Gray Fog, the biggest secret might be discovered.
"Even if this Sealed Artifact doesn't correspond to the ' Unshadowed,' it must belong to the ' The Sun ' pathway, at most containing some other Beyonder Characteristic. No, that would be rejected. The symbol of the ' Eternal Blazing Sun ' Church is a golden emblem resembling an abstract the Sun, unrelated to the cross. Hmm, after eliminating that possibility, the only remaining connection to the ' The Sun ' realm is that Creator of the City of Silver, the Ancient The Sun God, the father of Adam and Amon, and a suspected transmigrator..."
"Does its presence in Viscount Stratford's possession suggest, in a sense, that the ' Hermits of Fate ' are collaborating with the royal family, and the Psychology Alchemists merely a front? Of course, there are many other possibilities. Perhaps it was collected by the Augustus Family themselves. As a renowned and historically significant Angel Family in the Fourth Age, it's quite normal for them to collect items from the Ancient The Sun God..."
"If this Sealed Artifact was truly provided by Adam, could it have been His arrangement?"
"Faced with the Witch Trissy and her companions, who were clearly involved with an evil god, Viscount Stratford's choice of the Purification cross over other items was perfectly reasonable. His decision to eliminate Shermane, without knowing if she had been corrupted by an evil god and fearing unforeseen consequences, to refrain from direct attack and instead waste time activating the Sealed Artifact, was also reasonable... Hmm, indeed very reasonable. I just wonder if there were any signs of deliberate manipulation..."
"Thinking about it this way, my '0-08' phobia is about to flare up again... By the way, ' The Magician ' and Miss ' Judgement ' did discuss Adam in private, mentioning ' The Forsaken Land of the Gods,' ' The Giant King's Court,' and ' The Angel King '..."
"Even if it really was Adam's arrangement, what's the point of Him giving this item to ' The Magician ' and ' The Judgement '?"
Klein felt a slight chill run down his spine as he thought about it. After calming himself down, he decided to return to Böklund Street and try to verify it again.
Without delay, he immediately returned to the real world.
As for the items on Qonas Kilgor's body, he had already grasped the basic details using only his own Divination abilities, without relying on the enhancement from the Gray Fog.
Aside from the " Concerto of Light and Shadow " and the badge that Door Opening the underground ruins, which were taken by Arianna, the leader of the Ascetic the Church of Evernight, Qonas Kilgor also possessed two other magical items:
One is the " Riveir's Desperate Scream " mentioned by the " Magic Mirror " Arrodes. It originated from a failed sacrifice and has two modes of use: one is normal shooting, which is less powerful than Air Cannon, and the other is machine gun fire, which can fire a large number of bullets in one or two seconds. Both of these modes are accompanied by a " Desperate Roar," which has some effect on Demigod at the Saint level, but not too much. Of course, not all Demigod can withstand such an attack. Just like Klein himself, he does not have a sufficiently abnormal physique or defense to withstand it head-on.
Another item is called " Lucky Clover," which looks very simple. It's just a four-leaf clover made into a charm. Its power is to increase the probability of success for the wearer after each failure. The negative effect is to amplify the wearer's human flaws.
Klein's assessment of it was that it should be renamed " the Mother of Success."
Neither of these two magical items had any practical value to Klein, so he left them with the Marionette Qonas Kilgor.
But this Demigod- level Marionette was his greatest gain:
The " Lawyer's " keen grasp and exploitation of loopholes in the rules, his guidance and persuasion of his target; the " Barbarian's " power and physique to break the rules; the " Briber's " " Bribe "; the " Baron of Corruption's" " Distortion "; the " Mentor of Disorder's" "chaos"; and the " Earl of the Fallen's" " Bestowal," "amplification," and "exploitation"—all these are quite remarkable abilities. If it weren't for the detailed intelligence obtained in advance through the " Magic Mirror " Arrodes, the thorough preparations, the well-developed plan, and the assistance of the Concealment Angel, even with items like the " Fate Siphon," Klein wouldn't have been absolutely certain of keeping Qonas Kilgor.
Actually, compared to using " Creeping Hunger " to Grazing Qonas Kilgor would be more Marionettization and less likely to be discovered, but that would mean only three of the " Earl of the Fallen's " extraordinary abilities would be available... Klein thought to himself as he walked out of the washroom and back to the lawn where the bonfire dinner was being held.
On the lawn, Congressman Macht stood in front of the grill, sweat beading on his forehead as he expertly grilled East Balam- style meat. Hibbert stood a little further away, watching with bright eyes, her former arrogance long gone, her face even bearing traces of soot from the coal smoke Portland Moment, holding a wine glass, watched with a smile as the "youngsters" to him bustled about, occasionally picking up a skewer of meat and tearing off a piece.
Seeing this, Klein's mood suddenly calmed down.
On Sunday afternoon, the group, who had gone on vacation to the outskirts of Backlund, returned to Böklund Street.
Before dinner, Klein once again entered the Gray Fog and picked up the copper-green cross.
He first confirmed that the cross corresponded to Sequence 4 " The Unshadowed " of the " The Sun " pathway, and rather uncreatively named it the " Unshadowed Crucifix." Then he picked up a pen and wrote down the new Divination statement:
"The origin of this cross."
Klein did not directly Divination whether the acquisition of the " Unshadowed Crucifix " was orchestrated, fearing that it would point to Adam and arouse his suspicion. He planned to start by investigating the origin of this Sealed Artifact to find out the specific situation. If Adam was the previous owner and the owner before that of the " Unshadowed Crucifix ", the truth would undoubtedly lean towards "deliberate arrangement".
Klein put down his pen, glanced down at the verdigris cross in his hand, and sighed with a rather solemn expression.
"Here comes another death wish..."
He suspected that the " Unshadowed Crucifix " originated from the Creator City of Silver, the Ancient The Sun God, who was a more powerful deity than ancient gods such as the " Dragon of Imagination." The harm he suffered from spying on Him must have been greater than when Klein had previously Divination " The Groselle's Travels."
However, things are different now. Klein is now Sequence 4 " Bizarro Sorcerer," a Demigod. The damage he can withstand and the mysterious space he can manipulate above the Gray Fog are far greater than when he was Sequence 5.
He took a few seconds to calm himself down, then leaned back in his chair, holding the " Unshadowed Crucifix " in one hand and the paper in the other, and began to repeat the Divination phrases in a low voice.
Again and again, Klein used Cogitation as a springboard to enter a deep dream.
In a hazy, dreamlike world, a building appeared, its original shape obscured by layers of "grayish-white" concrete. It stood in the pitch-black environment, surrounded by what seemed like lurking Monster.
A crack appeared on the gray-white building's surface, and a pale-skinned hand emerged.
A figure emerged; it was a man dressed in a black clergy robe with a silver cross hanging from his chest.
The man's hair was short, mostly black, but the roots had a pale yellowish-gold hue. His eyes were pure gold, his skin was fair, his features were deep-set, and his eye sockets were sunken, making him quite similar to the people of the Northern Continent.
He took two steps forward, reached out and grasped the seemingly ordinary cross, his eyes gradually regaining their blankness, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.
He then spoke in a low voice:
"Let there be light!"
In an instant, the darkness surrounding the gray-white building was pierced by bright light, revealing its true form.
This is a deep valley where the view above is invisible, yet endless light fills every corner of it.
And so, the world came into light.
The scene then Blink, jumping to the next scene:
A drop of golden blood, radiating light and heat, fell onto the silver cross.
Following the blood upwards, there seemed to be a figure composed of pure light, its face, which was indistinct, facing upwards, overflowing with tangible pain and Distortion.
His gaze fell upon the Gray Fog, landing on Klein, who sat in the " The Fool's " high-backed chair, and his deep voice rang out again:
" Mysteries..."
Suddenly, Klein's thoughts exploded without warning.
P. S.: Klein's behavior is now quite obvious, making it easy for his thoughts to be read. The reason for this was clearly stated earlier: he takes off his thick mask and doesn't pretend unless necessary.