In a small town on the outskirts of Backlund.
After changing into dry, clean clothes, Klein laid the wet banknotes out one by one on the table, waiting for them to air dry naturally in the warm room.
During this process, he moved very carefully and gently, even suppressing the sneezes and coughs caused by his cold and fever.
To ensure there were no mistakes, he did not control the heat himself while baking.
After doing all this, he walked to the corner of the hotel room, where a full-length mirror was placed.
Klein's black hair was neatly combed to the side in the mirror. He had a pair of deep brown eyes, a rather thin face, and sharp features.
He wore gold-rimmed glasses and had no beard, making him look both young and experienced.
This is Zhou Mingrui's appearance, which he modified based on the characteristics of people from the Northern Continent, and it's the energetic look he had when he was in college, before he was made fat by society.
He planned to return to Backlund once things calmed down a bit, and while he was there, get a legal identity for his current appearance—compared to when he left Tingen, he no longer lacked the necessary connections, such as Ian at the " Bravehearts " bar, Miss Sharron's circle, and the great Detective Isengard Stanton.
"How nostalgic..." Klein murmured, busily preparing for the ritual in the room where the curtains were already drawn, ready to bring " the Creeping Hunger " into the Gray Fog for a foolproof study.
In the silent, deserted ancient palace, he appeared at the head of the long bronze table, holding a thin glove that looked like it was made of human skin, and leaned back in his chair.
Then, he closed his eyes and extended his Spirituality into the object that needed to be sealed.
He immediately sensed the glove's hunger; it seemed to have an insatiable stomach, yet it was so docile above the Gray Fog, not daring to utter a trace of malice, like a hunting dog lying there, not daring to move.
Then, Klein heard cries of despair and groans of pain.
Distortion, grotesque, wailing transparent faces immediately emerged from his Spirit Intuition, overflowing with a sorrow and madness too painful to bear.
These "faces" are deeply integrated with Beyonder Characteristic of different colors, states, and expressions. Wherever Klein's Spirituality spreads, it can combine with the corresponding "face" and use its abilities.
Is this how it's used? Klein tried again and again, and combined it with Divination, and roughly figured out which five souls " Creeping Hunger " is currently " Grazing ".
One is the " Faceless," but he only has the ability to change his appearance and body shape;
Secondly, he is a " Psychiatrist " who can drive his target into a state of Frenzy, provide Psychological Suggestion, simulate the might of Dragon Might to Awe individuals and groups, and create chaos.
Thirdly, there is the " Interrogator," who can make the glove wearer proficient in the use of various weapons, become an explosives expert, and possess the ability to concentrate their spirit and pierce the target's spiritual body;
Fourth is " Nightmare," which has only one ability: to silently drag people into Dream Divination. However, unlike the corresponding Beyonder, this is mainly accomplished through " Creeping Hunger." Therefore, the wearer can still move their body after Dream Divination state.
Fifth is the " Light Priest," who can produce an aura-like effect, Purification Death and unclean creatures within a certain range. He also possesses the " Bard " ability, which enhances his and his companions' singing, and can summon a " Holy Light " that is slightly weaker than " Solar Flare."
The limit is five souls, and the abilities available are fixed during the initial " Grazing "... This isn't something one can decide; it's purely based on luck. Maybe three, maybe only one... Klein nodded thoughtfully, sighed, and said to the tormented souls:
"No matter who you were before, I will gradually free you from your constraints and bring you complete liberation."
"From now on, the souls I Grazing will only come from those who are deeply sinful and unforgivable. For every Beyonder I kill, I will replace one of you and grant him liberation, regardless of whether I need his abilities."
His solemn yet gentle voice echoed within the ancient palace, and the wailing, tormented souls quieted down, no longer so Distortion and ferocious.
Huff... Klein exhaled, opened his eyes, tapped the edge of the ancient long table lightly with his fingers, and muttered to himself:
"That ' Faceless's' abilities overlap with mine, so he's completely worthless. Once I get a replacement, I'll release him first. Hmm, then I can try Spirit Channeling and talking to him. Maybe I can get information about the High-Sequence of the ' Seer ' pathway, and clues about where the mermaids are... No, I don't need to wait for a replacement. In a few days, once my cold is cured and I'm back to normal, I can try..."
"The soul corresponding to the ' Light Priest ' should be able to complete the recipe I obtained before, and he will also leave behind corresponding Beyonder Characteristic. In this way, Little ' The Sun ' won't have to worry about his subsequent advancement. Hmm, he will be the second one to be liberated..."
"As for the fact that each use requires feeding ' Creeping Hunger ' with the soul and flesh of a human, that's not a concern. I certainly won't use it normally. When I need it, I'll inevitably be facing terrifying enemies. In such battles, there will definitely be no shortage of lives to be harvested. Even if there aren't, I can simply throw ' Creeping Hunger ' onto the Gray Fog without worrying about it backfiring, thus avoiding harming innocents. The worst outcome is simply that I can no longer use it..."
Sorting his thoughts aside, Klein attempted to use the magical item " Creeping Hunger " to Divination the recipe for the " Shepherd's " Potion, but ultimately failed.
He did not Divination the source of the " Creeping Hunger," fearing it would attract evil spirits.
Although the Gray Fog blocked his way, he was not afraid of endangering himself, but in doing so, the " Creeping Hunger " might be damaged.
He would only consider making any attempts when it was no longer needed... Klein leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
He quickly recalled what had happened and keenly noticed a detail:
"After the ' Master Key ' was destroyed, its Beyonder Characteristic did not disappear, but instead became particles of light, striving to coalesce..."
"It is foreseeable that the final form of the ' Apprentice ' characteristic will no longer have the origin of Mr. Door's cry."
In other words, this method can remove mental contamination from Beyonder Characteristic!
"But the problem is that, under normal circumstances, it's impossible to destroy the Beyonder Characteristic of something solidified into an object. What was relied upon was a ritual that could summon a true god, which required a large number of innocent lives as prerequisites..."
"Moreover, once the ' Eye of All-Black ' is shattered, the spiritual pollution from the ' True Creator ' hidden within will inevitably erupt. At that time, who can withstand it? To do it above the Gray Fog?"
Amidst a flurry of thoughts, Klein recalled the possible encounters in the East Borough and quickly conjured up paper and pen to perform Divination.
After receiving the revelation, he lost his expression and slowly, gradually leaned back in his chair.
Below him, the boundless Gray Fog rose and fell in an eternally silent stillness.
Audrey stood by the window, watching the pale yellow and iron-black mist quickly dissipate, and the torrential rain, which didn't belong to winter, fall heavily. Her mood calmed down considerably.
After an unknown amount of time, she and Susie finally waited for the Earl Hall to return home.
"Dad, how is it?" Audrey asked with concern.
Earl Hall handed his coat and hat to the waiter, a gentle smile on his face.
"It's solved, but the specific process is still unclear. My little princess, you've really been a great help this time. You deserve a medal weighing a ton!"
That's good, that's good... Thanks to Mr. The Fool's reminder, and thanks to His Blessed' adventurous investigation... Our Tarot Club once again stopped the evil god from descending, and once again saved the world! Audrey's heart was filled with pride.
Earl Hall took the towel from the maid, wiped his face, and sighed:
"But this still caused quite serious casualties. The smog in Backlund has become so deadly... Although the statistics are not yet available, I estimate that more than 10,000 people have died in the East Borough, the Dock Borough, and the Factory Borough, and the epidemic is still spreading. You should try not to go out recently."
More than 10,000 people? This was a number that Audrey could understand but could not imagine. Only during the annual National Day parade could she see thousands or tens of thousands of people gathered together.
However, this did not prevent her from feeling heavy-hearted, and her mood immediately became depressed.
Daisy stood outside the apartment building, watching Doctor and nurses in white coats and large masks go inside and carry out bodies one after another.
She already knew the outcome; her expression was numb, her eyes vacant, and she subconsciously moved closer to the door.
At this moment, the police officer in charge of the cordon stopped her:
"Don't go over there. Do you want to catch the plague?"
Daisy stopped there, watching the two bodies being carried out, watching her mother Liv tightly hug her sister Freja, watching them being carried onto the makeshift delivery wagon covered with black cloth, and watching them disappear before her eyes as they were covered with white cloth.
The carriage moved slowly toward the other end of the street.
At this moment, Daisy seemed to wake up from a dream. She turned around and ran quickly, chasing after the carriage.
The ground was extremely muddy after the rain, and she fell several times but got up each time, getting herself covered in dirt.
However, she still couldn't catch up with the carriage and watched it disappear around the corner.
Daisy slowed her pace, her body swaying slightly, her expression unusually blank.
She steadied herself against a tree by the roadside, her eyes fixed on the spot where the carriage had departed.
Suddenly, she went limp, and a sob escaped her throat:
"Mother...
" Freja..."
The voice was thin, low, sharp, and weak, lingering on and on.
At that moment, in the East Borough, in the Dock Borough, and in the Factory Borough, tens of thousands of people were also wailing and crying out.
Sodrak Palace Queens Borough.
Wearing a crown, with a resolute face and a small mustache, George III sat on his throne, looking at the Earl of the Royal Palace before him, remaining silent for a long time.
"Your Majesty, the people from the three major churches are all waiting outside for your explanation," the Earl of the Palace asked, sweat beading on his forehead.
"An explanation? Prince Edessak was seduced by Witch, colluded with a cult, and attempted to rebel—that's the explanation! His plot was exposed, and he has already committed suicide. What other explanation do they need!" George III suddenly Wrath.
He took a breath, regaining his usual seriousness:
"Tell them that anyone who obtains the title, by any means, can get a seat in the House of Lords, that property restrictions on elections will be relaxed, and that invalid constituencies will be eliminated. This is Placate for those factory owners and bankers."
Similarly, the Atmospheric Pollution Investigation Commission will immediately draw its conclusions, the relevant legislation will be passed soon, and the minimum guarantee and working hours regulations will also be presented in the form of law in the near future!
" The Poor Law will be reformed according to their demands... allowing personnel from the three major churches to enter the military!"
"Your Majesty..." The Earl of the Imperial Palace was startled.
Such concessions were beyond his expectations, especially the last one.
George III Wrath again:
"Tell them that! Since they want a new order, then I will give them a new order!"
"Yes, Your Majesty." The Earl of the Palace dared not say anything more and withdrew from the palace.
George III sat there motionless for a long time, like a stone statue.
After an unknown amount of time, his expression suddenly softened.