"0-02"... Klein repeated the number in his mind, feeling that the problem might be more complicated than he had anticipated.
While it can't be said that "0-02" is necessarily more terrifying than "0-05"—after all, the " Wishing Lamp " is essentially a sealed Outer Deity, far more powerful than any current true god. Without the constraints of its outer shell, it could absolutely destroy this world, even this galaxy—the earlier number generally means that "0-02" is, in most cases, more dangerous and more difficult to seal than "0-05".
To be ranked second only to "0-01" when the Church of the Seven Gods numbered the batch of "0" level Sealed Artifact at the end of the Fourth Age, one can only imagine how terrifying "0-02" must be... However, it seems that the " God of Combat " did not use this Sealed Artifact in the God War... Is it because its type is not suitable for direct combat, or is it too dangerous for both sides? One thought after another flashed through Klein's mind in an instant.
His expression gradually became serious.
"Madam, what do you know about '0-02'?"
Arianna slowly shook her head and said:
"When different churches report on '0' and '1' level Sealed Artifact to each other, they only provide the serial number."
Indeed, even within the major churches, information about "Level 0" Sealed Artifact is strictly confidential. High-ranking officials often only have access to relevant information when in charge of a specific "Level 0" Sealed Artifact, and even then, there's a significant chance their memories will be erased afterward... This is partly to prevent the leakage of important information, and partly because for many "Level 0" Sealed Artifact, simply knowing about them can be dangerous or cause the seal to fail... Klein said thoughtfully:
"Haven't you already taken over the Church of the God of Combat?"
That would allow you to obtain all the documents for "0-02".
Arianna glanced at Roy and the others not far away and said:
" Larion destroyed all the data on '0' level Sealed Artifact before his escape."
Wow... This kind of overly cautious guy is really annoying... Klein's thoughts shifted and he said:
What is the goddess's opinion on '0-02'?
In his view, the " Evernight Goddess " and the " God of Combat " belonged to the same era and were in charge of " Concealment." The goddess probably also had some knowledge of what the latter possessed.
Furthermore, Sealed Artifact of the "0-02" level would not have left no trace in history, and may have even caused multiple disasters. They should not have been unfamiliar to those in high positions at that time.
Arianna seemed to have already considered this possibility, and spoke without the slightest hesitation:
"In a past oracle, the goddess referred to '0-02' as the ' Rulebook '."
" Rulebook "... that's even more terrifying... Klein's gaze sharpened slightly as he listened, making many connections.
In his past life, he was also a game enthusiast with a wide range of interests, though he wasn't particularly addicted. He was quite familiar with the term " Rulebook."
At this point, Arianna added:
"Your arrival in Beldan City might also reveal some of the characteristics of '0-02'."
Yes, it's quite normal for Lady Arianna to have followed Patriarch Larion to Beldan and encountered this strange event, but for me to happen to be here is a bit too coincidental... In the occult, too many coincidences often indicate something is wrong...
Is someone orchestrating this, or is it the effect of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence? Judging from the current situation, the orchestration lacks sufficient purpose to confirm, and as the master of the " Sefirah Castle," I can more or less sense something amiss... If it is the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, excluding the Exile "Door" and the Antigonus Family ancestor sealed in the Foggy Town, the only ones who could have this level of influence on me are Zaratul and Amon...
However, I've been deliberately avoiding Zaratul, and Amon's true form is being hunted by the " True Creator." A mere clone couldn't possibly produce such a strong aggregation effect... Hmm, there's another possibility: the aggregation law between Sefirah... "0-02" attracts the " Sefirah Castle," causing me to happen to arrive in Beldan today?
If that's the case, even if "0-02" itself isn't the Sefirah Sefirah, it must have some connection to it... Klein, who had long harbored suspicions, suddenly thought of many things and gained a preliminary but vague understanding of "0-02".
He thought for a moment and said:
"Judging from how things have developed, the rules are becoming increasingly stringent and diverse. That yellow paper is evidence of this. Does this indicate that the activation or awakening of '0-02' is gradually deepening?"
Arianna nodded serenely and said:
"Yes, we must find it and find a way to seal it in before certain situations arise."
"Therefore, it's best to split up, expand the search area, and save as much time as possible."
Klein had no objection to this, and after thinking for a moment, said:
"Madam, isn't telling me all this considered leaking secrets?"
"No," Arianna gave a fairly clear answer, "Leaking means that the anomalies of Beldan must not be transmitted to the outside world in any way."
This cuts off our real connection with the outside world... That's alright, at least we don't have to worry about problems with our usual conversations. In short, as long as we don't swear... Klein silently breathed a sigh of relief and then asked:
"Will the ' Nighthawks ' and ' Mandated Punishers ' here also follow the rules in the announcement?"
"Yes." Arianna gave an affirmative answer, then her figure faded and disappeared from the spot.
After watching the abbot of the Evernight Abbey leave, Klein quickly sorted through the information he had just obtained in his mind, gaining some understanding of the possible developments that might follow:
The battle will not be the focus; the key issue is whether we can find "0-02" in time and figure out a way to seal it.
In this process, these outsiders will be met with increasingly complex and difficult-to-follow rules and driven citizens.
Thinking of this, Klein turned his gaze to Roy and the others not far away, and asked with a smile:
What are your thoughts on what you just heard?
Roy and Pasha exchanged a glance and said:
"We don't know what a '0' level Sealed Artifact is, but we can guess that '0-02' is a very terrifying item, capable of setting rules and rewriting reality to some extent. Moreover, such anomalies seem to change further over time."
"Furthermore, the Grand Patriarch of the Church of the God of Combat must be an extremely powerful Beyonder."
Klein clapped his hands lightly and said with a smile:
"That's pretty much it. If we don't make any effort and try to stay away from danger by hiding and dodging, then we'll need to be more and more careful about our behavior. We might even commit a crime without realizing it. Heh, maybe in the end, we'll be executed on the spot for stepping out the door with our left foot first."
These words threw Pasha, Byers, and the others into a panic, leaving them unable to control themselves.
The possibility of such a development sounds ridiculous at first, but upon closer examination, one can perceive an extreme sense of horror hidden within!
After several seconds, Pasha said with a solemn expression:
"Moreover, citizens can use any means necessary to deal with us, but we cannot effectively retaliate because murder and intentional assault are extremely serious crimes..."
"We can try to deceive their senses, but we can't do it too many times," Klein said casually. "What we need to do now is to quickly summarize the laws governing '0-02' itself, so that we can find it and seal it away before it activates or awakens to true Wisdom. What are your thoughts?"
Phil, the " Marauder," thought for a moment and tentatively said:
"It seems it can't attack us directly; it can only punish us when we break the rules or commit crimes."
Klein snapped his fingers and said:
"That's right, I can summarize this rule first: '0-02' cannot be used to punish innocent people."
Byers blurted out:
"But it allows citizens to hunt down outsiders, who are not necessarily criminals."
"That does contradict the previous rule a bit," Klein replied with a smile. "However, throughout history, many cities have enacted laws that discriminate against and expel outsiders at different stages. Have you gleaned any deeper patterns from this?"
The four Beyonder frowned, unsure of what the powerful " The Magician " opposite them was trying to say.
After a brief silence, remembering the other person's question about whether a certain action constituted fraud, Pasha hesitated before saying:
"The rules promulgated by '0-02' must conform to public perception and have gained a certain degree of acceptance?"
"A very good idea," Klein praised. "This is a conjecture I had based on the Edict regarding the arrest of outsiders, and it has been preliminarily confirmed by your previous feedback. It can serve as a second rule for now, helping us determine which behaviors are criminal and which are not."
Seeing that Pasha had received praise from the powerful " The Magician " twice, Roy quickly added:
"It will keep adding Edict, making them complex and cumbersome, thus restricting us and making us punishable no matter what we do. Well, in addition to arresting outsiders, it can add charges of trespassing and prohibitions against urinating or defecating in public. In this way, it will become more and more difficult for us over time."
Klein had just nodded in agreement when a sudden Spirit Intuition struck him.
He instinctively raised his head and looked at the notice board, only to find that a piece of parchment had appeared on it at some point:
"Curfew order..."
"This..." Pasha and the others also noticed the change, their pupils dilating instantly.
It was already night. If they stayed outside any longer, they would be violating the Edict and would be subject to various punishments, each more severe than the last, until they were sentenced to death.
"Let's go, we don't have much time left." Klein raised his hand to adjust the top hat on his head and said with a smile, "Our target is most likely a book. It may still be on the High Patriarch, or it may have been hidden somewhere. My intuition tells me it's more likely the latter, because that item is too dangerous for anyone, and it will only become more dangerous. Of course, that is, assuming the High Patriarch hasn't gone mad and is simply using '0-02' to create an opportunity for himself to escape his pursuers."
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, the Patriarch is Angel walking on earth."
Angel steps Roy, Pasha, and the others had just taken froze.