Back in the real world, Klein extinguished the candles, packed away the remaining items, and carefully inspected the warehouse.
He felt fortunate that the whirlpool created by Kavithua had completely cleared the area, leaving only the rain that followed, some charred areas from lightning strikes, a few wisps of ash, and the furrows plowed out by Klein's feet.
The traces are easy to deal with. Danitz will use fireballs to "wash" this place clean, making it look like an internal strife among pirates... Klein nodded almost imperceptibly, pulled out one of the few remaining paper figures, and flicked his forearm and wrist.
The paper figure flew out, spontaneously combusted, and turned into black ash.
Having done all this, Klein walked towards the door, his brow furrowing more and more as he went.
His leather boots had lost their soles, and the rest of his clothes were tattered and torn. His clothes and trousers were also covered in tears, wetness, and charring.
These were all unavoidable things under the circumstances just now. The tearing was not something the " Paper Figurine Substitute " could withstand, but rather came from the enormous suction of the seawater whirlpool. The wet feeling was due to the torrential rain sprayed by Kavithua. The charred appearance was a sign that Klein had been hit by a few lightning bolts during the intervals when he used the " Paper Figurine Substitute ". Even now, after he has calmed down, there are still some spasms in his right forearm caused by the Electric Shock.
"This outfit cost me 8 pounds 6 Soli... I need to get a new one... I Divination the danger and prepared accordingly, but I didn't expect Kavithua to be even stronger and crazier than I anticipated... I hope I can gain something from this." Klein shook his head silently, composed himself, endured the pain, went to the door blocking the exit, and knocked three times with his fingers.
Danitz had been somewhat uneasy, and hesitated for two seconds after hearing the sound before Door Opening.
Seeing that Gehrman Sparrow had returned to his aloof and reserved state, no longer radiating the Spirituality hunger and madness that sent shivers down one's spine, Danitz quietly breathed a sigh of relief, glanced inside, and casually asked:
"It's over?"
"No." Klein curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a refined smile.
Not yet? Danitz was startled:
"What else... what else do you need to do?"
Klein maintained a smile that hinted at madness:
It still needs cleaning.
"It's polite."
Cleaning... Danitz paused, raised his right hand, pointed to himself, and said:
"I?"
Klein's grin widened.
Or perhaps it's me?
"Then I'll be eaten by the ' Creeping Hunger '!" Danitz chuckled dryly.
How should I clean it?
"Use fireballs," Klein replied succinctly.
As a part-time pirate, Danitz easily understood Gehrman Sparrow's meaning, bypassed him, and headed into the warehouse.
During this process, he had some doubts and reservations:
"The captain said that the ' Creeping Hunger ' devours a living person every day, but Gehrman Sparrow. And, moreover, there was a battle just now, and Gehrman Sparrow used the icy power of 'Steel' Maviti, but he didn't 'feed' it afterward... Strange... What secret is hidden here?"
"Some form of sealing? He, or rather, the organization behind him, can actually seal away the ' Creeping Hunger '?"
While Danitz was "cleaning" the warehouse, Klein stood outside, gazing at the overlapping, dark clouds in the sky, and began to look forward to what was to come.
The iron cigarette case, tinged with the scent of Gray Fog, had already been delivered. Now, all that was left was for Kavithua, this fake " Sea God," to collapse and die on his own... Hopefully, the Beyonder from the Church of Storms and the Kingdom's military either hadn't had time to find the place yet, or had left behind some items they didn't value but which were of some worth... Klein slowly took a breath, listening to the muffled rumbling sounds coming from behind him.
Inside a hotel, Alger stood by the window, gazing at the gloomy sky outside.
Not long after the last Tarot Club ended, I obtained the Sanguine's anesthetic gas and prepared to set sail to collect materials. However, almost a week has passed, and I'm still stuck in Bayam... He twitched his lips slightly and shook his head.
First, there was the "World" hunt for "Iron" Maviti, which earned him a lot of money. Then he had to wait for the bounty. After he got the bounty, he encountered the collapse of the Kavithua sea serpent and was asked to find adventurers and Archaeologist such as Latiz.
I heard that during this morning's search, Latiz and the others were found. The " Mandated Punishers " and the military seem to have obtained some very important clues, and many people have gone to Simim Island... Ha, this kind of thing will never happen to me... Alger withdrew his gaze, tugged at his short robe that barely reached his knees, and muttered to himself:
"Let's finish this as soon as possible."
Once Kavithua is completely dead and the tsunami is no longer lurking, he can leave port, depart from the " City of Generosity " Bayam, and strive to advance to Sequence 6 " Wind-blessed ".
As his thoughts raced, Alger had an idea and turned to look out the window.
He saw the clouds in the sky quickly disperse, and the Crimson Moon hung silently in the sky.
Klein woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, vaguely sensing something.
He got out of bed, went to the window, and pulled back the curtains.
The crimson moonlight shone in, covering everything like frost, cool and dreamlike.
Klein looked out and saw that the low-pressure clouds had disappeared, the red moon was bright high in the sky, and the stars were sparse.
Does this mean the battle between " Sea God " and " Sea King " is over? Klein pondered for two seconds, then looked away, closed the curtains, took four steps backward, and entered the Gray Fog.
He sat at the head of the long, weathered table, conjured a gold coin, and began to recite a Divination phrase:
" Kavithua is completely dead."
After seven repetitions, he flicked the gold coin up with a clang, watching it leap upwards and then tumble downwards.
With a snap, the gold coin landed in Klein's palm, the king's portrait facing upwards.
This means yes!
This indicates that " Sea God " Kavithua is completely dead!
Sure enough, the ancient Elf ruins on Simim Island are closely connected to the hideout on which Kavithua relies for its existence... Less than 20 hours after the " Mandated Punishers " and military personnel obtained the " Book of Calamity " and learned about the ruins, Kavithua could no longer hold on... I originally thought it could stubbornly survive for another two or three days... Klein sighed and tried to Divination whether the official Beyonder had entered Kavithua's hideout.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of relevant information, his Divination failed, and he gained no insight.
After thinking for a moment, Klein changed his approach, took off his pendulum, and began to Divination whether there was any danger in exploring Kavithua's hideout.
This involved him personally, and the results came quickly:
The citrine pendant rotates counterclockwise, at a moderate speed and with a small amplitude.
There is danger, but it's bearable... It's less dangerous than the previous sacrificial ritual... Klein nodded slightly, returned to the real world, and began preparing for the operation.
He first locked the bedroom door from the inside, then set up a ritual, summoning himself.
Upon re-entering the Gray Fog, Klein directly picked up the " Black Emperor " card and placed it into his spirit body.
Suddenly, he solidified as if he had flesh and blood. The dark mist surrounding him clung to his surface, forming a majestic, almost tangible full-body armor, but on his head was a magnificent black crown.
Klein glanced at the human skin gloves on the table and hesitated whether to put them on.
Above the Gray Fog, the " Creeping Hunger " was almost sealed away, daring not to make any move. But as soon as one left this place, the uncontrollable hunger would cause it to harm its carrier, whether the other party was a living person or a spirit.
Klein was considering whether the high-ranking " Black Emperor " card could suppress the " Creeping Hunger " within the spirit and keep it normal.
Try it, and if it doesn't work, immediately end the summoning and return here... It will take almost no time and there is no danger... Klein picked up " Creeping Hunger " and put it on the outside of his iron-black armor gloves.
Without further hesitation, he stepped into the " Door of Summoning " and, with the help of the expanding candlelight, arrived in the real world.
Without oversight, Klein's first reaction was to check the state of " Creeping Hunger," finding it docile and calm, subdued under the high position of the " Black Emperor " card.
"Not bad..." Klein breathed a sigh of relief and placed the magical items, including the Azik Copper Whistle, the Biotoxin Bottle, and the Sun Brooch, into his body one by one.
Finally, he picked up his black hardwood cane, intending to use it to search for the "lost" iron cigarette case, which reeked of Gray Fog.
Of course, to find Kavithua's hiding place, one must first enter the Spirit World and locate it from within; otherwise, the attempt will fail.
As for how to enter the Spirit World, Klein did not consider the three methods provided by Mr. Azik. How could a spirit with Wisdom and the ability to think not find the Spirit World or enter it?
After calming down, he visualized the image of countless orbs of light gathering together. His mind and body quickly became peaceful, his thoughts gradually emptied, and his Spirituality extended and unfolded little by little.
Soon, he discovered that his surroundings were filled with illusory, transparent things that were difficult to describe in form. All the colors became vivid and distinct, yet overlapped one another, while a hazy mist, so faint as to be almost invisible, permeated and enveloped everything.
Deep within, high in the sky, seven clear beams of light of different colors drifted slowly, seemingly possessing life and containing boundless knowledge.
This is the Spirit World, completely overlapping with reality, and omnipresent.
If I happen to encounter a " Mandated Punishers " or military personnel, I will immediately end the summoning and return to the Gray Fog... Klein took a step forward and simply entered the Spirit World, feeling as if he himself was becoming unreal.
His black cloak billowed gently behind him, and his hardwood cane stood upright in his hand.
He spoke in a deep, authoritative voice:
"The place that belongs exclusively to me in my metal cigarette case."
As he murmured to himself, Klein felt inexplicably tense, because amidst the rich and distinct colors around him, pairs of indifferent yet strange eyes were looking at him.
After repeating this seven times, Klein released his hand and awaited revelation.
The black hardwood cane floated up and drifted forward at a steady pace.
Klein followed it, flying through the Spirit World, which was both real and illusory, strange and mysterious.
Here, without a location, it's easy to get completely lost and never be able to get out.
Of course, this poses no problem for Klein. If he really gets "lost," he can end the summoning and return directly to the Gray Fog.
Klein chased after the black cane that was sometimes thrown up and sometimes falling, weaving through distinct yet overlapping colors, passing by one after another indescribable, semi-hidden Spirit World creature, unable to know how far his destination was.
Suddenly, he saw an eye, a round eye, an eye with clear black and white.
Those eyes stared at him without blinking; they had no head of their own, nor a corresponding body.
P. S.: I will update earlier, around midnight.