"You guys try it too." Klein handed the long, dark iron skewer in his hand to the other Moon City residents.
Those people swallowed hard, their throats bobbing, but they didn't respond immediately. Instead, they all turned their gazes to High Priest Nim, waiting for him to nod.
Nim took out an item from the animal skin clothing he was wrapped in; it appeared to be a magnifying glass with a handle.
At first glance, Klein almost mistook it for a monocle, which startled him so much that his heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, he managed to regain his composure and confirm the details.
Nim gripped the thin metal handle, brought the glass object close to his right eye, and scrutinized Ruth for a few seconds through the lens.
After a brief silence, he put the item down and nodded slightly to the other residents of Moon City.
The people outside of Ruth finally reached out and carefully, in an orderly fashion, took a mushroom from the long, black iron skewer and put it in their mouths.
The taste, devoid of any disgusting or foul odor, instantly captivated them. Ignoring the burn in their mouths, they swallowed the mushrooms in a few bites and instinctively reached for another.
However, all the mushrooms on the long, black skewers had been distributed.
Nim turned his gaze away from the long, black stub and waited for Gehrman Sparrow to continue recounting his experiences and the teachings of the " The Fool."
Klein looked around and repeated what he had said before:
"You may pick any of the mushrooms around you, except for the pure black ones. Also, they must be fully cooked before eating, or you will be cursed."
Without the slightest hesitation, the residents of Moon City immediately stood up and chose the mushrooms they had long desired.
Klein glanced at it and added:
"Those white mushrooms are prone to splitting open and releasing liquid after being roasted. You'll need to prepare some containers, or drink it immediately."
Before Ruth and the others could respond, he picked up the topic he had interrupted earlier and continued talking until he heard the voices chanting the name of " The Fool " coming from the gray mist.
Seeing that High Priest Nim was listening intently and was quite moved, Klein carefully considered his words before speaking:
"There are many ways to make the grayish-white mist react, but they are all related to my Lord."
This was a reasonable guess, because there was more than one person suspended above the Gray Fog, and there was more than one way to enter. If Emperor Roselle came here with his replica of the mysterious silver tablet, he could most likely cause this invisible barrier to change. Of course, the premise was that the emperor might belong to one of the three paths: " Seer," " Apprentice," or " Marauder."
Seeing that Nim and the others did not raise any questions, Klein said gently:
"From what I've observed, the Beyonder Pathway of ' Moon City ' are not singular."
Nim, with his gray hair, didn't hide anything and simply replied:
"Yes, when we were chosen to come to Moon City, the divine messenger consciously ensured that the Beyonder Pathway were fully utilized. Unfortunately, over the years, after numerous disasters, many Potion recipes and extraordinary materials for these pathways have been lost."
"Which route did you take?" Klein asked casually, watching the Moon City residents use Monster bones to roast mushrooms.
"I am the ' Nightwatcher '," Nim said frankly.
" Evernight " pathway, Sequence 4, " The Nightwatcher "? Klein nodded slightly, then asked:
Has anything unusual happened near this grayish-white fog?
Nim, whose face was lined with deep wrinkles, pondered for about ten seconds and then said:
"Have."
Klein's heart skipped a beat, but he calmly asked about the topic:
What kind of anomaly?
Nim glanced at the mushrooms emitting a fragrant aroma, carefully considered his words, and said:
A small hill suddenly disappeared, leaving only a deep pit in its place.
"There were no signs of an explosion in that area, and no dirt was scattered around."
What's going on here? This is a rather eerie scene... Klein asked without any change in expression as he tossed the mushroom roots into the fire to fuel them:
"Have you conducted any further investigation?"
"Yes," High Priest Nim of Moon City nodded. "A survey team encountered a Demonic Wolf there, not the rotten or mutated Monster Demonic Wolf, but the original Demonic Wolf."
"Demonic Wolf? Klein hadn't expected to hear such information. His pupils widened slightly as he asked again:"
"What does that Demonic Wolf look like?"
Nim unconsciously took a breath and said:
"Like the Demonic Wolf described in ancient texts, but much larger, even with all eight legs on the ground at the same time, it is as tall as two or three people combined."
"Its fur isn't pure black; it has a dark and deep feel to it. Its eyes are strange; most of them are pupils, black pupils. Also, it has a tuft of short, grayish-white hair on the top of its head..."
This... this isn't the Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar? It actually came to the easternmost part of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and it's related to an anomaly? If the power that made the Western Continent disappear really came from the " Sefirah Castle," then it's not surprising that it attracted the Mythical Creature corresponding to the " Miracle Invoker "... Klein frowned almost imperceptibly and said:
"It didn't attack your investigation team?"
Klein deliberately used it instead of Him to avoid frightening the people of Moon City.
In his mind, it would be very easy for the Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to wipe out a survey team, and he could even turn Moon City into His " Marionette Kingdom" without paying too much of a price. Who would have thought that this Mythical Creature would let Moon City go?
If Klein hadn't examined Nim, Ruth, and others' " Spirit Body Threads " beforehand and confirmed their condition, he would definitely have suspected that the people talking to him were just some Marionette.
"No, it left in a hurry," High Priest Nim of Moon City said truthfully.
This doesn't fit the suspicious and cautious nature of the Dark Demonic Wolf... What could have frightened it into fleeing so hastily, even neglecting to silence those who saw it... Or perhaps, the Moon City people guarding this place under the oracle of the Ancient The Sun God possess some special quality, and the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn't want to attack them unless absolutely necessary? Klein continued asking without changing his pace:
Did it leave any trace?
"No," Nim shook his head firmly. "Apart from the hill turning into a deep pit, we haven't found anything unusual."
Klein's mind raced, and he tried asking from another angle:
When did this happen?
The more one understands a past event or object, the more one can navigate the Fog of History.
Nim thought for a moment and said:
Two years, two months, and ten days ago.
He immediately offered an explanation:
"There were so few things worth Record, but they left a deep impression on me."
Two years, two months, and ten days ago... The current date is September 8, 1351, which means June 28, 1349... This... Klein's right hand suddenly trembled slightly.
His pupils and his expression were normal, but this was the result of the " Clown's " deliberate control.
He remembered clearly that June 28, 1349, was the day he "traveled" to become Klein Moretti, the day he repeated the Luck Enhancement Ritual and truly entered the " Sefirah Castle "!
The strange changes here, the appearance of the Dark Demonic Wolf, and the hasty departure of this Mythical Creature —are they all related to me? A huge wave surged in Klein's heart.
He couldn't find an explanation for the moment, so he pretended nothing had happened and skipped over the point, then thought for a moment and said:
"Has anything similar happened in the past two or three thousand years?"
"No," Nim replied with absolute certainty.
"What happened 208 years ago?" Klein pressed.
That was the time when Emperor Roselle "traveled" to this world.
Nim hesitated for two seconds before saying:
I cannot give you a precise answer; you need to go back and check the relevant Record.
Fortunately, the data and documents from the last three hundred years have not been destroyed.
At this point, he added:
My limited recollection tells me that nothing unusual has happened.
If that's the case, then the source of this anomaly, the appearance of the Dark Demonic Wolf, is that I entered the Gray Fog and bound the " Sefirah Castle " to myself? Klein nodded slightly, didn't ask any more questions, and simply said:
Tell me where that deep pit is.
Once High Priest Nim gave his answer, the mushrooms roasted by the Moon City residents were ready to eat. Some took a small bite of the white mushroom, only to be burned by the milk inside, yet they couldn't bear to spit it out. Others chewed it repeatedly, savoring the subtle sweetness. Some ate one after another, unable to stop.
Nim stared, somewhat stunned, seemingly unable to believe that these were Moon City people:
Each of them exuded the contradictory feelings of hunger and satisfaction; their facial expressions, though seemingly Distortion, radiated pure joy.
"High Priest, you should try some too." Ruth, his eyes squinting close, handed Nim a mushroom covered in golden spots and emitting a peculiar sweet aroma.
Nim hesitated for a moment, carefully examining the mushroom with the "magnifying glass" before taking it and putting it in his mouth.
The next second, his expression shifted slightly, and he slowly half-closed his eyes.
He had tasted similar flavors in some mutated tree roots, but none were as pure or as unforgettable.
After an unknown amount of time, Nim looked at the indifferent-looking Gehrman Sparrow and said with unusual sincerity:
"Your Excellency, we would like to hear the teachings of Mr. ' The Fool '."
I haven't even had time to make this up yet... However, as I get closer and closer to the Angel rank, it's time to put the corresponding things on the agenda... The anchor needs to be prepared in advance... As Klein's thoughts raced, he recalled the words he used to deceive, no, to transform the " Sea God " believers.
His expression quickly turned solemn. He raised his right hand, reached into the air, and pulled out a cross covered in verdigris and covered in sharp spikes.
Klein immediately pressed his right thumb onto a thorn, letting his blood soak into the " Unshadowed Crucifix ".
The patina on the surface of the " Unshadowed Crucifix " peeled off rapidly, revealing its original form, which was composed purely of sunlight.
"God said..." Klein opened his mouth and spoke in a low voice, raising the Radiant Cross in his hand higher.
Warm, bright, and clear light surged forth like a tide, instantly filling the surrounding area.
The darkness and discomfort that had accumulated within Nim, Ruth, and the others began to dissipate rapidly, as if their bodies and minds had been Purification.
They were somewhat dazed, only to hear the divine messenger, holding Radiant Cross and shrouded in holiness, solemnly say:
God said...
"First commandment: You shall not sacrifice a living person or a human being."
The second commandment: You shall not take my name in vain.