A battlefield near the capital, Lenburg.
Led by a flaming javelin, clusters of condensed crimson fireballs flew over the area littered with corpses, weapons, blood, and smoke, landing on the area with makeshift fortifications and creating a series of explosions.
As the smoke rose and the flames filled the air, Anderson brushed the dust off his hands, turned to his deputy beside him, and smiled:
"I don't know how much longer we can hold on... Is there anything you want to leave behind? I can help you write your will."
He got to see the angry looks in the eyes of the "soldiers" around him; their thoughts were exactly the same.
However, the "soldiers" did not make a move; their gazes gradually settled and shifted elsewhere.
"They didn't even respond to my provocation." Anderson raised an eyebrow. "That means you're plotting something."
Before the adjutant and the "soldiers" could respond, the Hunter smiled and continued:
"You're planning to surrender, aren't you? You want to protect your family and friends this way?"
Seeing all the gazes suddenly turn towards him, Anderson clicked his tongue and shook his head:
"You haven't been Beyonder for very long. It was only through the outbreak of war that you were able to obtain the main ingredients for Potion from the enemy, which allowed you to successively become ' Hunter,' ' Provoker,' and ' Pyromaniac.' But when it comes to conspiracy, you are still too naive."
"I'm curious, why don't you try to persuade me to surrender with you? I don't think I usually appear to be that resolute, and I'm not a believer in the ' God of Knowledge and Wisdom '."
At this point, Anderson glanced thoughtfully at his adjutant:
"Were the higher-ups on the other side completely enraged by me, and they gave orders not to accept my surrender?"
The adjutant was silent for a few seconds before saying:
"You already know, so why are you asking?"
In a flash, the nearby soldiers all raised their right hands, palms facing Anderson, showing remarkable coordination.
"How can I be sure everyone thinks the same way if I don't ask?" Anderson said with a calm smile.
He touched his stomach with his left hand and put his right hand into his pocket, seemingly groping for something.
At that moment, the Sun high in the sky suddenly expanded, becoming extremely large. The intense golden sunlight made it impossible for Anderson and the others to open their eyes or even think of anything else.
Then, a phantom tower appeared, each level composed of thick books, each book bearing a brass-colored eye. The higher the level, the darker it became, filled with an aura of madness, destruction, ominousness, and disaster.
The tower stretches into the sky, as if it has enclosed the entire world within itself, including the enormous the Sun.
Inside the luxurious villa of the Odora family in Backlund.
All the Sanguine in this metropolis have gathered here to prepare for the outcome of the impending war.
Emlyn White, now a count, stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, bathed in the light of Twilight and Evernight, watching his kinsmen discuss current affairs with a hint of unease.
Suddenly, he was struck by Spirit Intuition and turned his gaze to the window.
In the garden, clumps of withered yellow weeds have turned green again and are growing rapidly, soon reaching the height of a person.
Elsewhere in the city, the roadside trees that had not been affected by the previous bombing were frantically absorbing nutrients from an unknown source, growing taller and taller, soon reaching tens of meters in height, with thick branches and leaves like umbrellas.
These giant trees, connected to each other, partially obscured the sky over Backlund.
Many buildings were thus crushed or entangled by branches and vines, seemingly abandoned for decades or even centuries.
In just seven or eight seconds, many parts of Backlund were transformed into primeval forests.
After passing through the open gate and entering the dim interior of the Giant King's residence, Klein immediately noticed the " Silver Knight " Marionette in front of him, the " Staff of the Stars " in his right hand, and the " Creeping Hunger " in his left palm.
They have not yet shown any abnormalities, and the corresponding " Spirit Body Threads " have not shown any signs of Depravity.
Having confirmed this, Klein then turned his gaze to his surroundings and examined the environment.
The place was shrouded in a dense, almost tangible darkness; nothing could be seen beyond five meters. The ground consisted of solidified, gray-white stone bricks resembling Twilight, revealing nothing of extraordinary nature.
After thinking for a moment, Klein, with a smirk, reached into the void, grabbed at it, and tried to summon Angel from within.
The next second, he burst into laughter, because he had lost his clear connection with the Fog of History.
This is why the Historical Void images he summoned lost contact after entering this area.
Laughing, Klein suddenly turned around and walked towards the place he had come from.
"Mr. Sparrow, what are you going to do?" Derrick asked, slightly taken aback, as he was also examining the limitations he was facing.
Klein replied with a smile:
"Now is not the right time to explore this place; I plan to come in later."
"You intend to summon a Sequence 4 Historical Projection and see if bringing it in will lead to Depravity and betrayal?" Colin Iliad asked thoughtfully.
Klein spread his left palm and said:
"No one says that once you're in, you can't leave, or that once you're out, you can't come back in."
Although Mr. World's words seemed a bit strange in this context, Derrick still found them quite reasonable, because that's how City of Silver explored the surrounding area—by repeatedly "going in" and "coming out," by trying again and again, they gradually accumulated intelligence and details, and finally solved the problem.
Lovia remained silent, neither speaking nor objecting. In her view, it was undoubtedly a good thing to do more preparation.
In exploring the future of City of Silver, we must not be impatient.
After taking a few steps back, Klein suddenly stopped and burst out laughing:
"It seems the owner here doesn't want us to leave."
The faint light at the entrance had been swallowed up by the deep darkness and disappeared.
Colin Iliad looked around and said:
We have no choice but to move forward.
Seeing that the Chief and Mr. "World" turned at the same time, Derrick took a breath, raised his left hand, and let it emit rings of golden light, illuminating the surrounding darkness.
One by one, colossal pillars, their tops invisible and too large for five or six people to encircle, were partially revealed, some outlined, others hidden deep within, indistinct and indistinct.
Derrick withdrew his gaze and prepared to move forward with Mr. "World" and the chief.
Just then, he failed to spot another familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.
Derrick's pupils dilated suddenly, and then, not too quickly, he turned his head to look for Elder Lovia, who had been standing next to him just moments before.
This Demigod believed in a " True Creator " has vanished! Vanished without a trace!
Klein and Colin Iliad noticed Derrick's unusual behavior and turned their attention to that spot, only to find that Lovia, dressed in a black robe with purple patterns, had vanished without a trace, as if she had evaporated into thin air.
Even with the Spirituality intuition of a " Seer " and the environmental awareness of a " Demon Hunter," they were unable to determine when or how Lovia disappeared from a distance of just a few meters.
Klein's smile widened slightly, and without hesitation, he shifted his thoughts, sending his spirit above the Gray Fog to merge with the crimson phantom at the " The Fool's " location.
He then turned his gaze to the deep red star that symbolized the " The Sun," hoping to find clues through " Spirit Vision."
However, everything remained shrouded in darkness, and nothing was revealed, just as Klein had predicted before entering the Giant King.
Without giving it much thought, Klein immediately returned to the real world.
In those few seconds, only Derrick and the " Silver Knight " Marionette remained beside him.
The City of Silver chief, clad in silver armor, has also vanished!
"What just happened?" Klein asked with a warm smile.
Derrick looked at him with a mixture of surprise, confusion, and panic:
Didn't you see it?
As soon as he finished speaking, Derrick's shadow suddenly came to life, rapidly extending upwards to envelop him and the sunlight he radiated.
Once the shadow completely covered Derrick, it blended into the surrounding darkness, becoming indistinguishable from it.
Klein had initially raised his black cane, intending to stop the anomaly, but in the end, he did nothing, simply watching with a smile.
A few seconds later, he noticed that his body was turning black and fading in the deep darkness, as if he were being melted by the environment.
Klein, equally unresponsive, watched with a slight upturn of his lips and a head bobbing slightly.
After his figure completely disappeared, his gaze instantly changed:
The darkness had vanished, and the gray stone bricks, surrounding walls, and massive pillars were clearly visible, shrouded in a thin, yet not thick, shadow.
Outside the window, there was no the Sun, no the Moon, and no the Star, but a faint light streamed in, making the entire palace appear gloomy, dim, and desolate.
Deep within the palace stood a very faint shadow, like a curtain;
Lovia, Colin Iliad, and Derrick, who had been missing before, stood not far away, cautiously observing their surroundings, as if they had entered another world.
"Unfortunately, my Marionette can't get in." Klein waved the " Staff of the Stars " in his hand and said with a smile to Derrick and the others.
His nonchalant attitude and the chief's calm demeanor quickly calmed Derrick down, making him less panicked and flustered.
Colin Iliad nodded slightly, about to voice his guess, when suddenly he sensed something and turned to look towards the deepest part of the palace.
Klein, Derrick, and Lovia made similar movements, one after the other.
Deep within the palace, the faint shadow dissipated, revealing the Giant's tiered steps and the iron-black throne atop them.
On the throne sat a man with shoulder-length, slightly wavy black hair. His eyes were veiled in shadow, making his features extremely indistinct and difficult to discern. Layers of ethereal black wings cascaded down his back, covering most of his body. His robe was deep black, wrapped with silver threads, engraved with intricate patterns, and adorned with ornate accessories.
At this moment, the man rested his left elbow on the armrest and his hand on his cheek, seemingly asleep.