The first thing that caught Klein's eye was the altar surrounded by layers of light, and the tall, thin figure standing inside the altar.
The figure removed its hood, revealing a beautiful yet eerie, almost feminine face. Its left chest, shoulder, abdomen, and thigh were covered in writhing, viscous, and disgusting flesh.
Around him, the light layer was filled with illusory, transparent figures, exuding feelings of numbness, despair, pain, and repression.
Outside the altar, the four figures who had been praying earlier lay dead, their skin withered and bony, resembling corpses weathered for many years.
Above the entire hall, beams of light pierced through the void, swiftly entering the altar along the stone pillars, floor, and air covered with symbolic symbols and magical markings.
As soon as Klein emerged from his hiding place, Mr. A opened his eyes and looked toward where he was.
His pupils were stained blood-red, and his indifference concealed an extreme madness.
Any other Beyonder would probably have instinctively looked away, unable to meet his gaze. But Klein had faced the " Eternal Blazing Sun " and witnessed the " Blasphemer " Amon, so he was not afraid. He calmly pulled the trigger, sending a silver " Demon Hunting Bullets " engraved with many patterns flying towards the altar.
Upon witnessing this scene, Mr. A instinctively wanted to raise his hand, but ultimately stopped, watching indifferently as the silver bullet pierced the layers of light surrounding the altar.
Silently, the patterned " Demon Hunting Bullets " melted and disappeared within the layers of light, swallowed up by countless resentments and negative emotions.
Ultimately, it completely decomposed, leaving no trace.
Klein's eyes narrowed, and he fired the remaining bullets from his revolver in quick succession. The pale gold " Purification Bullets " and the brass-colored " Exorcism Bullets " that shone with golden light pierced into the light layer surrounding the altar one after the other.
However, they too disintegrated and disappeared, failing to create even the slightest ripple.
Mr. A laughed hoarsely:
"It's useless, you little crawler. The ritual has officially begun, and you cannot break or interrupt it with your power. Even Sequence 5 Beyonder cannot do it!"
"But you are also fortunate; you will live to witness the coming of my Lord and be united with His body."
After saying that, Mr. A ignored Klein and closed his eyes again, as if the other party really was just a tiny insect.
The Shepherd half-raised his hands, making an open-hearted gesture, and shouted loudly in Ancient Hermes:
" The Lord Who Created Everything;"
" The Dominator Behind the Shadow Curtain; (Note 1)"
" The Degenerate Nature of All Living Things."
Your devout followers pray for your arrival;
"I am willing to offer my body as a vessel to bear your great will!"
Amidst the prayers, a sudden light descended from an unknown source above Mr. A's head, completely enveloping him.
The resentment and accumulated negative emotions that had transformed into human figures around him surged inward like a tide, flooding into Mr. A's body.
Bang, bang, bang!
Klein snapped his fingers and Flame Manipulation, desperately attacking the altar, but they were irresistibly broken down, extinguished, and dissolved within the surrounding light layer, having no effect whatsoever.
What to do? My other magical items are all above the Gray Fog. To retrieve them, I must first perform a ritual, which will waste at least a minute or two, and my unprotected body will be in great danger... What to do? Klein rationally stopped trying and stood there, his mind racing.
Moreover, it seems that none of the Sun Brooch, the Biotoxin Bottle, the Eye of All-Black, or even the " Black Emperor " card which only elevates one's status, can break through the barrier of that altar!
Are they simply waiting for Miss " Justice " to send reinforcements in time? Or are they just going to watch the " True Creator " descend? Klein was on edge, his mind racing as he quickly considered what countermeasures he could come up with.
He checked his belongings one by one, his palms already sweating profusely.
Suddenly, he thought of something!
Without thinking about the consequences, he reached into his pocket and grabbed a metallic object.
Thump thump thump!
Klein took a few steps forward, swung his arm forcefully, and threw the item he was holding in his palm toward the altar.
A flash of brass-colored light, and the object entered the layers of light.
It was a key with an ancient and simple design.
That's the " Master Key ".
Within the light layer, the brass-colored " Master Key " began to decompose and melt.
When its outer shell disappears, the curse hidden within is revealed, connecting to the unknown – Mr. "Door".
Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens Borough.
Audrey stood by the French windows, gazing worriedly into the distance.
She saw the fog on the horizon gradually thicken, turning from pale yellow to iron black, and slowly spreading in her direction.
"Something's not right." Susie, the golden retriever, squatted down next to her, also gazing at the smog that was usually so common.
Hmm, hopefully it's not too late to stop it... Audrey didn't know what the mist represented, she just silently prayed to the goddess and Mr. The Fool, asking them not to let the " Primordial Demoness " descend.
Suddenly, she noticed that the tree branches outside the window began to sway, and the glass vibrated slightly.
"The wind is coming..." Audrey felt a strange joy.
Cherwood Borough, Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Suddenly, a terrifying Storm appeared outside its periphery, followed by an unimaginable hurricane that surged eastward.
Ugh!
The deposited fog was blown away, and the rich yellow and iron black quickly faded.
Ugh!
Dry branches fell to the ground, dust and dirt billowed into the air, and then drifted away with the mist.
Ugh!
Many pedestrians had their hats fall off their heads, and they swayed so much that they had to hold onto trees or walls for support.
The Sailor in the Dock Borough felt as if they had returned to the port city, witnessing the onslaught of a typhoon.
The smoke in the East Borough and Factory Borough has thinned, alleviating mild discomfort for healthy individuals.
Boom! Boom!
Lightning flashed, and thunder roared.
They quickly subsided, and the torrential rain began to wash the earth.
" The Church of Storms reacted quickly this time... It's also because we acted ahead of time and weren't fully prepared... Heh, those middle-class people, those rich people, without proper protection, are no different from ordinary people in this 'fog,' they are all lambs to the slaughter..." Lady Despair sat in a taxi, leisurely listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the window.
Even if it were destroyed in time, according to her estimate, the "smog" just now could directly cause more than 20,000 deaths, and there would be a subsequent spread of plague.
With that, I've almost finished digesting the Potion, but that's just a side benefit... The traces of the mass disappearances will be erased, pointing to the Aurora Order, to the " True Creator," and no one can guess what the royal family really wants to do... I should leave now, taking Trissy with me... Lady Despair thought to herself in a good mood.
She Concealment about her movements and had taken precautions beforehand, so she wasn't worried about being cornered by the Demigod of Backlund anytime soon.
By the time the other party found any trace of her, she was already far away from the city!
Just as Lady Despair was about to leave the carriage, she suddenly saw a figure.
The figure sitting opposite her was a young woman, wearing a hooded classical robe, with black eyes and hair, and a beautiful but blank face.
After throwing out the " Master Key," Klein gripped the Azik Copper Whistle again, then held his breath, awaiting the result.
If his plan fails and the barrier of the altar remains unbroken, he will use the Azik Copper Whistle to see if he can obtain the help of the "messenger".
If that didn't work, he would enter the Gray Fog, bring out the " Black Emperor " card and other items, try every possibility, and fight until the very last second!
At this moment, it was still afternoon, there was no Crimson Moon, let alone a clear Full Moon, so Klein lacked sufficient confidence in the curse contained within the " Master Key ". He only hoped that the dissolving effect of the altar barrier would threaten its existence and cause it to react instinctively, such as communicating with Mr. "Door" in reverse and transmitting his cry for help.
In just a second or two, Klein saw the " Master Key " disintegrate into the smallest particles of light and a Distortion, illusory crimson.
The crimson hue struggled desperately as it rapidly faded, then suddenly burst open!
In an instant, Klein lost his hearing and saw countless figures formed from resentment and unwillingness within the light layer raise their heads and scream in agony.
They changed rapidly, turning blackish-green, growing a second skull, a third eye, or perhaps a fifth leg...
They converged into a torrent and surged into Mr. A's body.
Mr. A suddenly opened his eyes, his pale complexion masking disbelief and astonishment.
Immediately afterwards, the light layer surrounding the entire altar Distortion and collapsed.
Boom!
A massive explosion emanated from the center of the altar, unleashing a terrifying storm.
Crack! The four thick stone pillars closest to the center snapped instantly, and Klein was some distance away, only had time to roll before being blasted away by the shockwave.
Bang!
He crashed into the wall, flattened instantly, and turned into thin paper.
The thin paper was quickly torn to shreds by the subsequent waves and scattered in all directions.
Klein himself emerged from the corner, using the wall as cover to withstand the blast waves.
The destructive power of the " Master Key " exceeded his expectations!
The curse that was forcibly dissolved did indeed have an instinctive reaction, transmitting Mr. "Door's" cry. The voice of this Exile person, who was at least Angel, was tainted with the resentment, numbness, and despair required for the ritual. As a result, the altar lost its balance and headed towards self-destruction!
As soon as the storm subsided, Klein rushed out to confirm the results.
The illusory figures and oppressive feeling that had been transmitted from mid-air had vanished, leaving only some ruins on the entire altar.
Mr. A knelt forward beside the collapsed stone pillar, missing an arm, half of his face, and many internal organs. His remaining eye was filled with a hatred etched into his bones.
However, those wounds were quickly covered by writhing flesh.
After that one glance, Klein didn't hesitate and took off running.
For him, disrupting the arrival of the " True Creator " would be the ultimate goal. Why would a Sequence 6 stay and have dinner with " Shepherd " Mr. A to welcome the New Year?
Note 1: I originally wanted to use the God Almighty behind the veil of shadows" meme, but after thinking about it, I decided not to be reckless and get a 404 error.