Mermaid?
Klein was overjoyed, a long-lost excitement welling up within him.
Nearly four months after leaving Backlund, and after experiencing many things, he finally arrived at the destination of this " Travel," fulfilling the last condition required for advancement to Sequence 5 " Marionettist "!
The anxiety and unease he felt while waiting had been growing ever since they entered this sea area. The seemingly absurd yet terrifying events that occurred on the " Future, along with the dangers and unknowns hidden in the three states of Evernight, noon, and dreams within this Ruins of the Gods' Battle, kept him on edge, making every hour and every minute a torment.
Now, these emotions and pressures finally have a chance to be released!
Huff... Klein slowly exhaled, then returned to his cabin and entered his own room.
Without panicking or losing his composure, he followed the pre-arranged procedure, taking out the Azik Copper Whistle and Will Auceptin paper cranes to distract any potential " Mystery Queen " spying on him.
He took out Spirituality remnants of the Ancient Evil Spirit, the eyeball of the Six-Winged Gargoyle, the bark of the dragon-patterned tree, and the metal bottle containing the water of the Sonia Golden Spring from his suitcase, spread them out behind his desk, entered the bathroom, locked the door, and skillfully set up the ritual for praying for blessings.
After completing this ritual, he didn't rush to respond above the Gray Fog. Instead, he set up an additional ritual—a ritual to summon himself!
Taking four steps backward and chanting an incantation, Klein arrived above the Gray Fog, responding to the summoning ritual. In this way, he entered the real world in spirit form and brought the " Kindling " glove back to that mysterious space.
Having completed the preliminary work, Klein did not relax. He went to the Fool's position, conjured paper and pen, and quickly wrote down a Divination statement:
"The one singing ahead is a mermaid."
He removed the citrine pendant and used Divination to confirm the situation:
The one singing at the front of the " Future " is a mermaid!
After calming himself down, Klein beckoned for the iron cigarette case to fly out of the pile of clutter and land on the mottled, ancient bronze table.
With a snap, he opened the lid and saw the " Eye of All-Black " without pupils still lying quietly inside, its extreme madness and danger faintly perceptible, yet seemingly asleep.
After gazing at it silently for two seconds, Klein picked up the " Kindling " glove and slowly put it on his right hand.
Having done all this, Klein did not hesitate any longer, extending his right palm forward and spreading his five fingers.
The scene before him suddenly filled with various orbs of light, with gray, copper green, deep red, and black forming the main tone of this mysterious space.
Within the " Eye of All-Black," a billowing, menacing, iron-black light was enveloping all the remaining colors.
Without relying on his own Spirituality intuition, but solely on his understanding of things, Klein could clearly recognize that the spiritual pollution representing the " True Creator " was this iron-black light!
In a state of high alert, he closed his five fingers, grabbed the target, and then twisted his wrist.
The iron-black light was instantly drawn away and merged into the " Kindling " glove. Klein immediately heard a phantom, evil, terrifying, familiar, and indescribable roar again.
This destroyed his thoughts, eroded his spirit, and brought him the pain of his head about to explode, but it was quickly suppressed by the power of the Gray Fog.
Klein had no time to think. Following the pre-arranged plan and the movements he had practiced many times, he grabbed the " Kindling " glove with his left hand, took it off, and threw it onto the stone bricks of the magnificent palace.
The roar vanished instantly. Klein numbly grabbed the now-functioning " Eye of All-Black " and quickly responded to the ritual he had requested, transmitting the Beyonder Characteristic left behind by the " Marionettist " through an illusory portal to the altar located in the washroom.
He dared not delay. He glanced at the " Kindling " glove, which was stained iron black, with Distortion fingers, torn palms, and filled with an eerie aura, then enveloped himself with his Spirituality, simulating the feeling of rapid descent, and returned to the real world.
If " Creeping Hunger " were to witness the entire ordeal and outcome of the " Kindling " glove, I wonder what it would think... As Klein opened his eyes, grabbed the " Eye of All-Black " from the altar, and headed straight for the outer room, this thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Stopping in front of the desk, Klein took out the steel milk pot that originally belonged to the kitchen of the " Future " from the side and poured in 80 milliliters of spring water from the Sonia Golden Spring.
The pale golden liquid rippled gently, clear and transparent, making one's mouth feel dry and prompting a desire to drink a cup to quench the thirst.
Klein put the bark of the dragon-patterned tree, the eyeballs of the Six-Winged Gargoyle, and the Spirituality of the Ancient Evil Spirit into the pot, triggering different reactions. In the end, the color of the potion base turned dark gold, but it looked light and weightless.
At this crucial juncture, Klein became unusually calm, steadily picking up the pupilless black eye and sinking it into the base.
He could now confirm that the mental pollution from the " True Creator " could not penetrate the Gray Fog and return to the " Eye of All-Black "!
And this was foreseeable.
The " Eye of All-Black " was instantly submerged in the dark golden liquid, and bubbles rose to the surface of the water.
With each bursting bubble, the potion darkened a little, and after about ten seconds, all the changes stopped.
Inside the cauldron, the Potion took shape, completely black in color, and seemingly contained countless tiny insects, barely visible to the naked eye, swimming rapidly within it.
Klein took out a gold coin and quickly confirmed it using Divination.
Having received the inspiration of success, he breathed a sigh of relief, poured the " Marionettist " Potion into a pre-prepared metal bottle, and stuffed it into his pocket.
He remained calm and composed, quickly handling the altar in the washroom according to the pre-arranged procedure, and retrieving the Azik Copper Whistle and Will Auceptin paper crane.
Only then did he quicken his pace and leave the cabin, going up to the deck.
At this moment, the symbols, magical emblems, and strange patterns on the " Future " lit up in distinct layers, forming a dazzling sea of stars, which greatly reduced the mermaid's song.
Legend has it that the songs of mermaids can drive humans mad, causing them to jump off their ships and become food for the mermaids.
Klein subconsciously looked up and gazed at the window opposite the captain's cabin.
The " Admiral of Stars " stood there, surrounded by starlight, his gaze turning back with a complex expression.
"Is he recalling what he said and the attitude he displayed in the dream?" Klein thought to himself, then said indifferently:
I want a small boat.
"It's ready." Cattleya pointed to the ship's side, unsurprised.
When Gehrman Sparrow hired the " Future," he had already mentioned that his purpose was to find mermaids!
Soon, Klein left the " Future " and the protection of the dazzling starry sky, stepping onto a small boat and setting sail on the ocean.
The ethereal singing drifted over, seemingly penetrating his very being, sending shivers down his spine and making him irresistibly want to hear more.
This was far from enough for Klein, and his Spirituality intuition told him that he needed to get closer and make the singing clearer to meet the requirements of the ritual.
" Storm!"
Klein took out a talisman made of white tin and summoned a controllable gale to propel the small boat forward.
After an unknown amount of time, the mermaid's song suddenly grew louder, so clear that it seemed to be softly singing in Klein's ear. Every note could resonate with his spirit, and every melody was intoxicating and enchanting.
Klein was momentarily stunned and nearly jumped into the sea, swimming towards the source of the beautiful song.
He tried his best to control himself and found that there were many reefs not far ahead, and figures were sitting on the edge, singing softly.
These creatures had human heads, with pure yet alluring features. Their chests swelled high, covered by dark red scales, and their lower bodies were large fish tails that rhythmically slapped against the rocks.
Different mermaids have different appearances and different tail scale colors, which have a unique aesthetic appeal to humans.
Klein released control of the small boat, raised his right hand, and reached into his pocket to take out the Potion.
Just then, the mermaids noticed his approach and looked over.
Then, one by one, these creatures, also known as sirens, stopped singing in panic and plunged into the water.
Don't go... Klein's right hand weakly made two grasping motions.
Didn't we agree to use our songs to lure humans into food? Why did you run away when the humans came? I'm not a bad person, I just came to listen to a song... At this moment, Klein was filled with a "fuck" feeling.
He soon discovered that the mermaids' singing had not completely stopped. Some distance away from the reef, several other mermaids, their backs turned, continued to sing boldly, oblivious to their companions' escape amidst the wind and waves.
Klein's spirits lifted, and after a moment's thought, he took out another talisman.
This is a spell from the " Sea God " realm that makes underwater creatures feel closer to the user!
" Storm!"
Amidst the chanting, azure flames enveloped the thin sheet of white tin, causing it to vanish into thin air from the real world.
Seeing that the remaining "mermaids," though aware of him, were no longer afraid to run away, Klein immediately took out the metal bottle containing the " Marionettist " Potion and unscrewed the cap.
Hurry up, just in case!
With a gurgling sound, the slightly bitter Potion, carrying a stale taste, flowed into Klein's mouth, down his esophagus, and straight into his stomach.
Suddenly, Klein found himself unusually stiff, as if he had returned to Tingen, back to the state he was in when Manipulation by the strange Puppet "2-049" Sealed Artifact.
He tried to move his joints, but they felt as if they were filled with molten lead.
At the same time, he felt tiny worms burrowing into every cell of his body, into his spirit.
His thoughts began to slow down, and his ability to visualize his own state gradually failed.
The melodious song of the mermaid drifted over, stirring up that desire, accumulating fervor and obsession, allowing Klein to maintain his last bit of emotion, and using this allure to gradually break free from his rigid and sluggish state.
A faint, grayish-white mist quickly appeared before his eyes, and he heard the illusory " Hornacis... Flegrea... Hornacis... Flegrea..." in his ears. Compared to when he advanced to " Seer," " Clown," and " Magician," this murmur was noticeably more intermittent, as if it were being interfered with and eliminated by something.
Unlike when he became the " Faceless," his delirium was significantly stronger, and he could intermittently break through the barrier between the Gray Fog and the power of reality... "My thinking ability has been restored!" Klein was overjoyed and tried to raise his arm.
The stiffness in the joint position is still there, but it's getting weaker and weaker!
At the same time, Klein "saw" his current appearance:
His skin was yellowish-brown, like Puppet wrapped in old bandages that had been buried alive for many years;
Numerous granulation tissues, hidden beneath the skin, wriggled, separated, and merged.
Klein immediately visualized countless orbs of light in his mind, using " Cogitation " to calm himself down.
During this process, the mermaid's song continued to echo in his ears, causing his joints and muscles to twitch and slowly recover from the stiffness.
After an unknown amount of time, Klein opened his eyes; his body was completely normal.
He took a breath and sighed silently:
"Finally...
"Finally, Sequence 5!"
"Finally, it's the ' Marionettist '!"
P. S.: " Marionettist " Little Klein is asking for monthly votes!
Also, thank you everyone. In just one and a half days, we gathered blessings from 25,000 people. This isn't the number of blessings or the number of people, but the sheer number of people. It's absolutely amazing! I'm giving you all a moment to reflect.