Ince Zangwill went to Backlund... I wonder how long he'll stay there... Hmm... I can check every now and then... Klein leaned forward thoughtfully, wiping the contents of the parchment and writing down a new Divination statement:
" Lanarvus's current location."
In his view, the culprit who caused the deaths of the captain and others, and nearly caused him to fall into a permanent slumber Ince Zangwill, but Lanarvus, that Lunatic, was also an accomplice who could not shirk responsibility and had to pay a bloody price for it!
After reciting it seven times, Klein Dream Divination again, but the scene that appeared after the gray world cracked open was exactly the same as what he had just seen!
A wide, slightly murky river, one dock after another, rows of houses, various buildings dominated by Loen style interspersed with Gothic elements, crowded streets, a bustling scene, chimneys constantly belching out "mist," an extremely ornate palace complex, and a towering, iconic Gothic clock tower...
Lanarvus is also in Backlund, the " Land of Hope " and the " Capital of Capitals "!
Klein opened his eyes, slightly puzzled, because he wanted to Divination the exact location of Lanarvus, but the result was still only a very large and vague area.
"This means that Lanarvus's Sequence is much higher than I expected... No, it's also possible that he gained enormous benefits in helping the ' True Creator ' give birth to offspring, such as a bit of divinity, or something like the umbilical cord-like remnant of the baby in Megose's womb, um... the latter was probably also taken by Ince Zangwill..." Klein's thoughts raced as he muttered to himself, making his initial guesses.
After confirming the vague locations of his two enemies, he considered a practical problem: he currently lacked the strength to take revenge!
Even if Lanarvus is only Sequence 7, or even Sequence 8, he wouldn't be easy to deal with after gaining such immense benefits. Moreover, he's clearly known for his cunning; killing stronger opponents is commonplace for him... Ince Zangwill is even more terrifying; he's Sequence 4 Demigod and possesses a terrifying "0" level Sealed Artifact... My transmigration still holds some secrets, but it's clearly not yet translatable into combat power, and perhaps that won't be possible for a long time... The only options are to continue improving my own Sequence and collecting powerful magical items... I need to do both, and do both well...
As his thoughts raced, Klein decided to add another Divination.
After carefully considering his words, he solemnly picked up his pen and wrote:
"My hope is to become stronger."
Klein gently set down the manifested round-bellied fountain pen, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.
While silently reciting the mantra, he entered a deep sleep through Cogitation.
In the gray world, he saw the scene he had just witnessed again: rivers, docks, chimneys, crowds, palaces, various machines and Gothic clock towers, and the capital of the Kingdom of Loen, Backlund!
Then, the scene changed. He saw a majestic mountain peak piercing through the white clouds, a magnificent and ancient palace, a huge stone chair at the head of the table inlaid with dull gems and gold, and eerie vertical pupils composed of countless mysterious symbols.
Without a sound, the scene shattered. Klein slowly sat up straight and reached out to lightly tap the edge of the bronze table.
" Backlund holds my hope for becoming stronger..."
"The second scenario refers to the main peak of the Hornacis Mountain Range, and the treasure left behind by the Antigonus Family? That eerie vertical pupil, composed of countless mysterious symbols and passed to me after the Antigonus Family Notebook corrupted the ' Misfortune Cloth Doll,' is the key to unlocking everything..."
As thoughts raced through his mind, Klein decided not to rush to the Hornacis Mountain Range, as the hidden dangers there were so high that even Sequence 4 Demigod might not be able to withstand them.
So, let's go to Backlund... Klein sighed, made his decision, enveloped himself in Spirituality, simulated the feeling of falling, and left the mysterious space above the Gray Fog.
Back in the real world, he slowly walked out of the hiding place and returned to Dunn Smith's grave.
After taking a deep look at the photo and inscription on the tombstone, Klein slowly drew a Crimson Moon on his chest, then turned and walked out of the cemetery.
As a former Nighthawks Nighthawks had to patrol Raphael Cemetery from time to time, he was very familiar with the keeper's routines and the surrounding environment. Without causing any disturbance, he easily left the quiet and desolate area and walked along the rammed earth road, taking advantage of the shade of the trees, towards the Tingen City.
The night was so peaceful, the red moon so dreamlike. Klein walked alone, his thoughts wandering like wild horses, sometimes contemplating revenge, sometimes recalling the captain's unreliable memories, sometimes remembering the tragedy hidden beneath Old Neil's humor...
Unbeknownst to him, Klein wandered into the nearest street like a lost soul, turning one side street after another.
It was two hours later when he finally broke free from that state and regained full control of his attention.
He found himself standing on Daffodil Street, across from the house he shared with his brother and sister.
Instinctively, Klein returned here.
He took a step forward with a hint of delight, then suddenly stopped, a bitter smile appearing on his face, and muttered to himself with a self-deprecating tone:
"If I went to knock on the door, Melissa would probably faint on the spot... Benson would probably start losing his hair from nervousness, and then try his best to calmly convince me to do it in the name of the curly-haired baboon..."
Shaking his head, Klein gazed deeply at the familiar gate before heading towards Iron Cross Street.
This is good, this is good... The things I'll be doing in the future won't involve them anymore... The compensation from the Nighthawks team and the police department will definitely be enough for them to live a stable middle-class life, even if Melissa doesn't find a job and Benson is unemployed...
After walking silently for a while, Klein began to feel his own exhaustion. But as a "dead man," he had nothing but the clothes he was wearing and the citrine pendant and Azik Copper Whistle he carried with him. He had no other possessions, including gold pounds, Soli, or pennies.
"Should I blow the whistle and send a letter to Mr. Azik, urging him to come and rescue me quickly?" Klein chuckled bitterly. "Forget it, don't contact him for now Ince Zangwill is still observing him in secret. I'll contact him when the time is right... As an 'old Monster ' who has lived through countless lifetimes, over a thousand years, he should be able to understand things like 'resurrection'... Hmm, it's not too cold tonight. I'll just find a place to sleep. Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the Tingen branch of Bank of Backlund and withdraw the money from my anonymous account."
Because he has been too busy lately, he hasn't had time to conduct the follow-up experiments on the "sacrifice," and the 300 gold pounds in the anonymous account remain intact.
"This should be enough to cover my expenses for a long time... I'll buy a newspaper tomorrow to check what day it is... Miss ' Justice ' and the others haven't made any new requests, which means I haven't missed the party..." Klein thought to himself as he found a sheltered corner, sat down, took off his coat, covered himself with it, and leaned against the wall to fall asleep.
He hadn't been asleep for long when he was suddenly woken up and saw a policeman holding a short baton.
The shoulder insignia only had a "V," indicating the lowest-ranking officer... Klein glanced at it and confirmed the other person's identity.
The officer said menacingly:
"You can't sleep here!"
"Streets and parks are not places for Sloth, unproductive homeless people like you to sleep!"
"This is stipulated in the Poor Law!"
Really? Klein paused for a moment, but because of the sensitive nature of his position, he didn't argue with the other party.
He grabbed his coat and walked the streets again until dawn.
Soon, head down, he entered the Becklandtingen branch where he had opened the account, withdrew £200 in cash using the preset "password," and left the remaining one-third of the "deposit" in the account as a precaution.
When Klein was writing the Ancient Hermes that served as the code, he undoubtedly heard a "pleading voice."
Next, he spent a total of £38 on two formal suits, two shirts, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of leather boots, two bow ties, four pairs of socks, as well as two double-breasted wool coats, two solid-colored sweaters, two pairs of thick trousers for winter, a walking stick, a wallet, and a leather suitcase.
After doing all this, Klein found a hotel to shower and change. Then, to avoid running into any acquaintances, he took a horse-drawn carriage directly to the Steam train station in Tingen City. On the way, he bought a newspaper to confirm that it was Sunday.
The journey from Tingen City to Backlund by Steam train takes only about four hours. A first-class luxury seat costs three-quarters of a pound, or 15 Soli, while a second-class seat costs 10 Soli, or half a pound.
The extremely crowded and poorly equipped third-class seats are quite cheap, costing only 5 Soli.
Klein thought for a moment and bought a second-class ticket for the 2 PM train.
Holding his train ticket and carrying his suitcase, Klein found a seat in the waiting room at a little past 9 a. m.
He was very fortunate that the Kingdom of Loen did not have a strict household registration system. He could prove his identity with three months' worth of water, gas and rent bills, and buying Steam train ticket was even simpler—just pay the money.
Sitting in the waiting hall, thinking about leaving Tingen City that afternoon for the capital Backlund, Klein suddenly felt a little empty.
He remembered his younger sister who embodied the role of a mother, his older brother who loved to tell sarcastic jokes, and the scene of the three of them eating until they were stuffed, slumped in their seats, none of them wanting to move...
Scene after scene, Klein suddenly laughed, a somewhat uncomfortable laugh, because he thought of Melissa, the turtle known as the " Puppet," and Benson's pitiful hairline.
He suddenly felt a strong urge to see his brother and sister one more time.
It was only then that Klein realized why he hadn't chosen an earlier train and bought a ticket for the 2 PM one.
He picked up his leather suitcase, hurried out of the waiting hall, and took a horse-drawn carriage back to Daffodil Street.
Then, he hid in the shadow of the house across the street, staring at his own front door, trying several times to cross the wide street, but could not.
Klein stared blankly at the other side, suddenly feeling homeless, just as he had felt when the Original transmigrated.
Suddenly, he saw the door open and Melissa and Benson come out.
One of them wore a black dress and a black veil, while the other wore a black shirt, black vest, black trousers, a black coat, and a black top hat. Their expressions were equally blank, and their moods were both low.
Melissa has lost weight... Benson looks so haggard... Klein felt a pang of sadness, opened his mouth, but could no longer utter those two names.
He unconsciously followed Benson and Melissa to the nearest town square, where he saw tents being set up again and a new circus performing.
Benson bought the tickets, led Melissa inside, and forced a smile, saying:
"This circus is very famous."
Melissa nodded expressionlessly.
"Um."
Suddenly, her foot slipped, her ankle twisted slightly, and she was about to fall.
Klein, who had just bought a ticket and entered, opened his mouth as if to help his sister, but could only withdraw his outstretched hand, standing helplessly a short distance away in the crowd.
Benson was startled and didn't have time to help, but Melissa quickly regained her balance, pursed her lips, and said nothing.
At this moment, Clown swarmed over, some performing tricks like riding on horse-drawn cartwheels without falling over, some crawling on a giant ball, and some throwing tennis balls into the air and catching them one by one with comical movements.
Melissa watched the performances with a calm expression, as if the other person didn't exist. Benson tried several times and cheered loudly, but he couldn't get his sister's emotions going, and he himself gradually became depressed.
Klein pursed his lips, watching the scene from afar, wanting to approach but not daring to.
Suddenly, he touched his wallet in his pocket and had an idea.
Benson and Melissa continued on their way, silently watching the various performances.
After a while, they saw a Clown painted with red, yellow, white and other colors run over. First, he threw tennis balls into the air, and then, while everyone's attention was drawn to the air, he conjured up a bouquet of flowers from nowhere—a bouquet of sepia daisies.
The bouquet of flowers, golden in color, symbolizing happiness, was brought before Melissa and Benson.
Melissa and Benson looked at the Clown opposite them with slight bewilderment. His face, covered with red, yellow, white and other colored paint, had a fixed, happy, exaggerated, and comical smile on his lips.
(Part One Completed)