Watching the messenger disappear, Klein thought about which Demigod he could contact in the short term, only to find there were none left. He had no choice but to turn his attention back to what to do next.
"The city-wide 'broadcast' just now will definitely make ' Sea King ' Jahn Kottman search for the ' Sea God ' and his followers while searching for Hermosuin. Going out at midnight is easy to be noticed, so I can only stay here and wait for dawn."
"We can't take that ship tomorrow. If we're attacked en route, it could endanger everyone on board, and it's not exactly a safe place to be."
"Hmm... Summon sea creatures, leave on a whale ship, rest and change ships on deserted islands and reefs along the way, and arrive at the next port... Since ' Orange Light ' said that you have to be close to perceive that quality, even if you amplify the senses that ' Mother Goddess of Desire ' achieves through rituals or believers, it won't exceed a city, or even just a block. This also explains why I encountered a trap when I arrived in Oravi."
"Once we leave Bayam, we should be free from this 'watchful gaze'..."
As Klein's thoughts gradually cleared, the radio receiver suddenly picked up another signal!
He quickly moved closer, took Record rapidly, and then used the codebook to translate them into the corresponding letters to form words.
Not long after, the contents of the telegram appeared on the paper, the ink deep black:
I see you.
I saw you... Klein read this sentence and a chill suddenly ran through him.
Bayam, in an ordinary house not far from the governor's mansion.
In the spacious basement, candles burned quietly, casting a dim, yellowish light all around.
" Silvery-white Viper " Orville had removed his hooded robe and, trembling slightly, looked at the middle-aged man opposite him, saying in a shaky voice:
"Lord Senor, I also don't know why Hermosuin's true hiding place was known."
Senor wore an old tricorn hat, his eyes were sunken, and his face was frighteningly pale, making him look more like Evil Spirit than a human. He raised his hand to wipe the two black mustaches on his lips, and his light brown eyes coldly swept over Orville's face, causing the renowned adventurer to lower his head involuntarily.
After a few seconds of silent observation, the " Admiral of Blood," dressed in white trousers and a red jacket, spoke in a low, hoarse voice:
"Less than three minutes after that telegram, a notice spread throughout the city, and the content was part of the telegram."
"I suspect that another force has begun to take radio seriously and has obtained our codebook from Old Quinn."
"Yes, yes, that must be it! Silver Coin Viper!" Orville hurriedly echoed, hoping that " Admiral of Blood " wouldn't think it was his incompetence that led to the loss of the Hermosuin.
He knew all too well how cruel this pirate general was to his subordinates who made mistakes!
Senor glanced at Orville and sneered:
"But no matter what, you failed."
"If it weren't for you and your mistress giving me so much pleasure, I would make you rip your own guts out!"
"Send a telegram to that eavesdropper who may or may not exist, tell him I saw him, and let him spend the night in fear and unease. That's the only thing you can do right now."
Upon hearing this, Orville silently breathed a sigh of relief, glanced fearfully at the " Admiral of Blood " and the bloody altar on the table behind him, and respectfully replied:
"Yes, Lord Senor!"
He had just thought he was going to become part of the sacrifice.
Once Orville had left the basement, " Admiral of Blood " Senor turned to the altar, which was covered in heads, entrails, limbs, and blood, and spoke with an even more respectful attitude than when Orville had faced him:
"Lord Jax, was the ceremony a success?"
"Success has been achieved; now we await God's response." A cold, emotionless voice emanated from the Curtain hanging around the altar.
Then, as if it came to life, the Curtain rolled up on both sides, smoothly tied itself into a knot, and fell to the center of the altar.
A slightly transparent figure appeared beside the altar at some point. His skin was brownish, and the wrinkles on his face formed deep furrows. His white hair was sparse, like autumn leaves, and he seemed to have lived for many, many years.
He looked humbly at the candlelight, his brown eyes unwavering.
" Admiral of Blood " Senor dared not speak again, standing beside Lord Jax, waiting for the altar to change.
Suddenly, the candlelight was tinged with all sorts of colors, each seemingly corresponding to a different desire of the observer.
On the altar, human heads, internal organs, limbs, and blood moved without wind, piling up layer upon layer, resembling melting candles.
Before long, they formed a short, Tree of Flesh with an uneven surface, resembling the shell of a walnut.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Inside that Tree of Flesh, there seemed to be a heart beating, strong and powerful.
When Senor could no longer bear the noise, the Tree of Flesh withered and rotted into mud, spreading out on its own.
Where it originally stood, a small, flesh-colored, wet, sticky ball remained.
Soon, the little ball grew limbs and a head, transforming into a humanoid creature the size of a palm.
Its face has no eyes, no nose, no ears, only a mouth like a hole.
Grayish-white mist billowed from its mouth, then receded, repeating this several times without stopping.
The old man named Jax chanted " Mother Tree of Desire " repeatedly with piety and fervor, then reached out and grabbed the strange little man.
Without a sound, all the candlelight went out, but for the " Wraith " who had night vision, this did not affect their ability to see.
" Admiral of Blood " Senor stared at Jax, hearing the high-ranking official say in a deep voice:
"We have prepared for this ceremony for far too long, and God's grace helps us to sense our present presence on a larger scale."
"Then, we can use the glasses made by members of the School of Life to find him accurately!"
As he spoke, Jax took out a monocle from his inside pocket. It looked no different from a normal one, but it shimmered with a bright white light in the dark.
"Lord Jax, what do we do next?" Senor asked respectfully.
Jax, with his deep wrinkles, thought for a few seconds and said:
"After daybreak, we will go to find our target."
"If he has powerful helpers, we will monitor him to prevent him from leaving the sensing range, and then patiently wait for Lord Suah to arrive."
"If he has no Protector and is weak himself, then we'll just take action."
Upon hearing the word " Suah," Admiral of Blood Senor's forehead twitched noticeably, as if the mere name of that great man was enough to inspire fear.
He took a slow breath and said:
"Yes, Lord Jax!"
After answering, Senor instinctively touched the necklace hanging down his chest.
The necklace appears to be made of sterling silver, and the pendant is a coin that looks very old.
Startled by the telegram, Klein barely slept the rest of the night. As soon as dawn broke, he sacrificed his suitcase, wallet, and most of his cash to the Gray Fog.
After cleaning up the traces and settling the bill at the hotel front desk, he took a carriage directly to the edge of Bayam, leaving the city and heading up the mountain, seemingly to the cemetery prepared for the local natives.
Halfway there, he suddenly turned into the woods, intending to walk straight to the edge of the cliff, where a huge sea creature was already waiting below!
Birds chirped and insects crawled through the woods, and small wild animals occasionally darted by. Klein walked very quickly, stepping on the humus-rich ground.
Along the way, he could see mushrooms growing after the rain, scraps of cloth and other trash left behind by some Bayam residents after their picnics; everything was so peaceful, accompanied by the fresh morning air.
A leaf drifted down, but Klein, without stopping, easily dodged it.
Just then, the leaf suddenly sped up, even strangely turning a corner, and stuck to his mouth and nose.
It was like an adult's hand, firmly covering Klein's nose and mouth, making it impossible for him to breathe.
Whoosh whoosh!
Branches fell from the trees all around, shooting towards Klein like arrows.
The scraps and papers left over from the picnic also seemed to come alive, connecting together to form a dense, strange net that suddenly "pounced" on them!
P. S.: I'm having some writer's block, so the word count is a bit low. I'll update this first and revise it later.