Wearing a black court dress, Sharron pursed her pale lips, glanced at Maric, and nodded slightly.
Maric clasped his hands together, a hint of madness in his voice, and said:
"You should know about the ' Prisoner ' route, right?"
"Yes, I've heard of it in extraordinary circles," Klein replied frankly.
Of course, this extraordinary circle refers to the Nighthawks and the Tarot Club... he added with a sigh in his heart.
Maric seemed to recall something and remained silent for a good ten seconds. The rhythmic sound of horse-drawn carriage wheels rolling over the concrete road came through the window.
He rubbed his messy brown hair, his face slightly Distortion as he spoke:
" Prisoner refer to both those imprisoned in jail and those whose Spirituality and desires are suppressed by reason, body, and the world. Beyonder in this Sequence are physically strong, have keen senses, often possess a silent exterior and a mad interior, are skilled in many criminal techniques, and are adept at killing with any object at hand."
"Its corresponding Sequence 8 is called ' Lunatic,' which I imagine you're unaware of, because even the orthodox Beyonder organizations of the Seven Great Churches don't know enough about these things. That Concealment organization's control over its members is beyond your imagination. Those almost Distortion individuals, both physically and spiritually, seem to be bound. It's difficult to get any useful information from them simply through Spirit Channeling and Divination."
" Sharron and I endured and waited for a long time before we found a way to break free of our 'bonds' and successfully escaped."
"Because those Beyonder things through this path are all cursed and prone to madness, we do not wish to submit to the Seven Great Churches, for that would mean utterly losing our freedom, leaving us with nothing."
So that's how it is... No wonder the Nighthawks' internal records weren't very detailed, not even including Sequence 8 and Sequence 7 for " Prisoner." That was part of what I could know at my level back then... Klein replied with a hint of realization:
"I really don't know what happened after the ' Prisoner '."
Maric didn't nod, but looked at Klein with his brown eyes and continued:
"Compared to ' Prisoner,' the biggest characteristic of ' Lunatic ' is that they can willingly and proactively sacrifice their rationality and unleash their desires in exchange for power, gaining improvements in all aspects. Apart from their minds becoming somewhat unclear during that period, there are not many problems. They may even gain extraordinary resistance to certain abilities that interfere with their thoughts and affect their mental state."
Simply put, it means, "If I kill myself first, you won't be able to kill me anymore..." Klein couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"From this Sequence onwards, the curse gradually appears, and the ' Lunatic ' is prone to losing control," Maric said, his facial muscles twitching slightly.
Isn't this obvious? It would be abnormal if someone's mental state was in a slump for a long time or frequently exhibited abnormalities, and the probability of them losing control was no higher than that of other Beyonder! Klein had his own understanding of this. He glanced at Miss Sharron and found it hard to imagine what she would look like in her " Prisoner " and " Lunatic " phases, while Sharron remained in that ghostly, ethereal state.
Seeing that he didn't say anything, Maric slowly exhaled and said:
"The next Sequence 7, is ' Werewolf '."
Is the Mutant starting? However, the " Prisoner " who was insane and the " Lunatic " who was prone to losing his mind were actually no different from other species in the eyes of normal people... Hmm, the " Werewolf " is only Sequence 7, which is a bit lower than I expected... Klein's thoughts suddenly wandered.
Maric, unaware of his dazed state, continued speaking to himself:
"The ' Werewolf ' is already a fully cursed being. Every time the red moon becomes full, it loses most of its sanity, grows black fur all over its body, and its killing intent and bloodlust reach their peak..."
His voice gradually became somewhat unsteady, as if he were recalling that period of bitter endurance and self-suppression.
"The ' Werewolf ' possesses strong self-healing abilities, as well as terrifying strength, agility, and speed. Its claws and teeth are comparable to extraordinary weapons of the same Sequence and are inherently poisonous. It also knows some dark magic, such as controlling targets whose bodies have been infiltrated by the Werewolf's poison for a period of time, turning them into subordinates, or Monster similar to Werewolf, Monster lifespans are often very short..."
After listening to Maric's explanation, Klein offered a fair assessment:
At the Sequence 7 level, in terms of practical combat ability, the " Werewolf " is considered above average.
"A ' Werewolf ' who can never suppress his killing and bloodlust on the night of the Full Moon will become increasingly cold-blooded and Distortion, gradually losing the emotions that a normal human should have," Maric added, his tone revealing a hint of barely concealed pride.
It matched Mr. Azik's description of the Mutant... Klein subconsciously glanced at Miss Sharron again, instinctively imagining her " Werewolf " state, but was almost shivered by her cold gaze and quickly turned his head away.
Maric unconsciously licked his lips, not in a seductive way, but in a way that gave off a dangerous vibe.
His gaze seemed to momentarily lose focus, as if he were recalling something.
He waited a few seconds before speaking again:
"I am the corresponding Sequence 6, ' the Living Corpse '."
Living Corpse... it really does look like one... no wonder it often plays cards with a bunch of its own kind... so this is considered Mutant, a truly living corpse... Klein thought for a moment and said:
"I heard from Kaspars that you're not afraid of bullets?"
Maric nodded and said:
"My body is as hard as steel. Even if you hold a revolver to my head and fire, I'll only be dizzy at most. It would take at least five hits to the same spot to break through my defenses."
"Even if it's broken, for a ' Living Corpse,' as long as the head isn't shattered, the other injuries aren't fatal."
"My power has been enhanced beyond that of a ' Werewolf,' and I have mastered some death-related spells, allowing me to easily awaken corpses, control and command spirits, and skillfully wield supernatural powers of cold and decay."
Each Mutant Pathway also has different characteristics in each Sequence, with very few progressive changes... Klein pondered for a moment and said:
"Then what about the curse of the ' Living Corpse '?"
Maric clenched his teeth slightly and said:
"I crave warm human blood and fresh flesh, a feeling that intensifies during the Full Moon. The only consolation is that the curse of the ' Living Corpse ' has replaced the curses of the ' Werewolf ' and the ' Lunatic '; they did not coexist, nor will they ever be."
"Every time the red moon becomes full, I suffer greatly. If I don't give up self-control, the pain will rob me of the ability to fight. But if I indulge myself, I will become less and less human, and the risk of losing control is very high."
Even in ordinary times, I am constantly fighting against my inner desires and against intense malice.
Phew, compared to those Beyonder through this path, everyone else is far better, well, except for ' Abyss ' and ' Witch '... Klein suddenly had this thought.
Maric paused and glanced at Sharron was wearing a small black soft hat.
Sharron parted her lips and said in a ethereal voice:
" Sequence 5, ' Wraith '."
Wraith? There's such Sequence? It really is Mutant Pathway... Klein was slightly surprised at first, then realized that this was indeed consistent with the characteristic of being able to easily transform between the physical body and the spirit body.
Maric, having received the hint, added:
"After becoming a ' Wraith,' one can transform their state into a true Specter and gain corresponding abilities, such as passing through obstacles, hiding in mirrors, directly attacking the soul of the opponent, and leaping over most places that can reflect images."
"Unlike ordinary Wraith, even those with Spirit Vision, unless they are at High-Sequence, cannot detect these Specter."
"Hmm, ' Wraith ' also possess many death-related spells and have quite a few bizarre techniques, such as forcibly possessing bodies and controlling enemies..."
"Her curse is that on the night the red moon becomes full, she must either consume a certain number of human souls or become extremely weak. Choosing the former means choosing to constantly walk on the edge of losing control."
Before Klein could speak, Sharron face was equally pale, said faintly:
"Our target is also ' Wraith '."
"The extraordinary abilities of ' Living Corpse,' ' Werewolf,' ' Lunatic,' and ' Prisoner ' will not be lost upon promotion," Maric emphasized.
That sounds like the type that's really hard to beat. I'm afraid of this type of thing where pistol bullets won't work and ordinary flames won't do much damage... To put it simply, I'm afraid of "ghosts"... Klein felt a little uneasy listening to that.
He thought for a few seconds and said:
What is the effect of that Sealed Artifact?
Why should I restrain you?
It actually made you willing to tell me the weaknesses of your own curse... Klein probably had some guesses.
Maric replied with a slightly somber expression:
"The cursed item that needs to be sealed is called the ' Crimson Moon Corona '."
"It can create a full Full Moon -like effect within a certain range, which is a boost to the power of those already cold and Distortion guys, but it will weaken us and make us lose our ability to fight. If, if we give up our own selves, then I would rather choose death!" Maric growled hoarsely.
I never imagined that someone as seemingly twisted and cowardly as you could be so persistent. Hmm, to persist all the way to the " Living Corpse," that's truly remarkable... Klein didn't interrupt, listening to the rest of the story.
"Those who wear the ' Crimson Moon Corona ' are immune to the Full Moon effect and will gain terrifying speed, unimaginable regenerative abilities, and many powerful dark magic spells. However, it will gradually cool the wearer's blood, causing it to freeze bit by bit. If it cannot be stopped in time or if the wearer does not drink the blood of a living person, they will eventually die from all their blood turning to frost." Maric seemed quite afraid of that Sealed Artifact.
After he finished speaking, Sharron looked calmly at Klein with her azure eyes and said:
"With Steve were ' Living Corpse ' Jason and ' Werewolf ' Tyre."
"But as long as Steve can be dealt with, they won't be a problem."
Maric added:
"If successful, the Beyonder Characteristic left behind by Steve will be mine, the ' Crimson Moon Corona ' will belong to Sharron, and all the remaining loot and the ' Book of Secrets ' will be your reward."