Damn it... At that moment, upon hearing the old man's reply, Klein's mind was filled with a single curse word; no other thought could emerge.
Zaratul, the leader of the Secret Order, a descendant of a high-ranking noble in the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Age, the former owner of the Antigonus Family Notebook, the extraordinary path guide of Emperor Roselle, a true High-Sequence in the " Seer " pathway, Hidden Existence who was already a " Miracle Invoker " a hundred or two hundred years ago, was considered by the " Magic Mirror " Arrodes to be Angel who lost control and became Monster during the process of advancing to Sequence 1 " Attendant of Mysteries "!
Regardless of which description it is, it is an unbearable burden for Klein at the moment. It gives him the same shock as if the characters in the history textbook have jumped out of the textbook and walked right in front of him, and it also feels as if the air around him has become tangible, piling up layer by layer on him, squeezing his body and blocking his breathing.
Klein had once imagined that everything he had encountered, including time travel, was a result of Zaratul's scheme, suspecting that He was the ultimate boss he would eventually face. Now, he had encountered Him, ahead of schedule.
"I'm only a Sequence 5!" Klein couldn't help but shout in his mind, while simultaneously doubting whether the other person was really Zaratul.
Zaratul is a surname, representing a high-ranking noble in the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Age. Theoretically, there should have been multiple Zaratul in the past two thousand years... Perhaps this is the grandfather, father, brother, or descendant of the Secret Order leader mentioned in Roselle's notes... Also, he just said that he himself has been dead for many years, and both " The Magic Mirror " Arrodes and " The Mercury Snake " Will Auceptin Zaratul, as the Secret Order leader, is still alive, but has gone out of control and become Monster, extremely insane... Klein first tried to convince himself that things might not be as bad as he imagined, which quickly calmed his emotions and enabled him to think more carefully:
The extraordinary abilities that Zaratul just displayed may seem few, but each one transcends common sense, especially those related to history and Fate... He is far more than just a " Bizarro Sorcerer," perhaps even possessing Sequence 3, or even Sequence 2, while the number of pathway Angel is never large...
This place is closely connected to the vanished " Nation of Evernight " on the main peak of the Hornacis Mountain Range, and it contains whispers that can be transmitted to the ears of Low-Sequence Beyonder in the " Seer " pathway... After Zaratul, the leader of the Secret Order, obtained the Antigonus Family Notebook through Emperor Roselle, he appeared less and less, and it's unknown what he was plotting. Could it be that, based on the notes, he came to the main peak of the Hornacis Mountain Range to search for the treasure left behind by the Antigonus Family, and obtained the Sequence 1 " Attendant of Mysteries " Potion recipe and corresponding materials?
In the world of occultism, a series of coincidences often signifies something is amiss, that something is definitely wrong...
If it truly is Zaratul, and this "self" that was separated and exists within the Foggy Town is the reason that ultimately led to His loss of control and madness?
As for the claim that he was "already dead," there is a reasonable explanation, as Zarathustra, the leader of the Secret Order Zaratul, himself stated:
What is a miracle? To come back from the dead is a miracle!
He himself was already a " Miracle Invoker "!
As Klein's thoughts raced, the white-bearded old man who called himself Zaratul chuckled:
"Judging from your reaction, you know me?"
Klein's mind raced, and he tentatively said:
I've heard of that surname before.
"I once met the ' Mystery Queen,' and learned about the Secret Order and its leader from her."
The old man nodded slightly, neither giving a definite answer nor denying it. He smiled and asked vaguely:
What other help do you need?
Help... Klein, savoring the extraordinary abilities the other party had displayed, hesitated for a moment before saying:
"Can you summon a fish from the outside world from the history of this Concealment world? Even one that has become food is acceptable."
In his view, this was not impossible. After all, a large portion of the outsiders who had entered the town came from the Ruins of the Gods' Battle at the easternmost point of the Sonia Sea. Perhaps some fish were brought there as food reserves and to observe environmental changes, and disappeared at night because they couldn't sleep. Or perhaps an explorer had just eaten a bellyful of fish when the Evernight fell and he didn't have time to fall asleep. In that case, it wouldn't be incomprehensible that fish from outside existed in the history of the Foggy Town.
Zaratul raised his head, glanced at Klein dressed as Gehrman Sparrow, and briefly offered no answer.
Several seconds later, he lowered his gaze and said in a muffled voice:
"Can."
As soon as he finished speaking, " Admiral of Blood " Senor had a ball of shredded fish meat stuck together in his hand.
"It only lasts for 35 minutes; by the time it's over, it's as if you've never eaten at all," Zaratul added.
It actually works... Klein increasingly felt that the High-Sequence abilities of the " Seer " pathway were bizarre and terrifying.
He initially wanted to say that he needed no other help, but then he Zaratul was a notoriously cunning individual, and everything he said and did needed to be questioned, so he felt he should prepare something.
Amidst a flurry of thoughts, Klein decided to feign a certain Greed, hoping to make Zaratul lower his opinion of him and believe he could be easily manipulated.
After instructing the Marionette to put away the fish meat, he glanced around and took a barely perceptible breath, saying:
"I also need the ' Bizarro Sorcerer ' Potion recipe."
Zaratul's posture remained unchanged. After a few seconds of silence, he chuckled and said:
"No problem, as long as you're willing to believe that the formula I'm giving you is genuine."
"Once you get that obsidian back, I'll give you the ' Bizarro Sorcerer ' Potion recipe along with the ' Door Opening ' symbol."
"Ah, these are all things that don't matter to me, as long as you can scatter my ashes back into the river of my hometown."
After listening quietly, Klein couldn't help but ask:
"Your rank must have been very high. Scattering your ashes like this will pollute the entire river and create countless Monster."
Zaratul laughed heartily upon hearing this:
Very meticulous.
"However, there are no special substances in my ashes anymore; I lost them long ago."
As he spoke, he raised his head again and glanced at the top of the ancient church.
Was he Psychological Suggestion his Beyonder Characteristic and the unique abilities his body possessed due to the changes were all drawn away by the "magnet" at the highest point? Klein pondered the other's meaning and pressed for details about his own Beyonder Pathway:
What is the name of the Sequence 3 Potion after ' Bizarro Sorcerer '?
Zaratul's beard twitched slightly as he said:
" Scholar of Yore."
Scholar of Yore ... Although this sounds like something from a dead person, an artifact dug from a grave, Zaratul had repeatedly mentioned "history," and the corresponding extraordinary abilities were simply unbelievable... Klein asked again with a hint of delight:
What about the corresponding Sequence 0?
Zaratul raised his head again, glanced at him, and then chuckled softly:
"You should have known when you ' Door Opening ' and escaped."
I hate people like you the most, always only saying half of what you mean and never saying a word... Klein suddenly felt a similar way to Emperor Roselle, so he shifted his gaze to the stone statue next to him and asked:
Who is this?
Zaratul did not turn his head, and said in a somewhat unclear voice:
"He is a descendant of an ancient god."
A descendant of an ancient god, a descendant of Flegrea, the Demonic Wolf of Destruction? This ancient god seems to wield the power of " Evernight "... His descendant established the " Nation of Evernight "? Before Klein could ask any questions, he heard Zaratul chuckle:
"He also has a brother, you should be familiar with him."
"Who?" Klein tried hard to recall, but couldn't find the answer.
Zaratul chuckled.
He gave himself a new surname.
Antigonus.
Antigonus... Nation of Evernight... Hornacis... Flegrea... Klein's eyes lit up slightly, instantly piecing together the fragmented pieces of information into a coherent whole.
The Church of Evernight's destruction of the " Nation of Evernight " is easy to understand, stemming from a struggle for power. However, it makes little sense to deal with the Antigonus Family, who inherited the Beyonder Pathway of the " Seer," with such ruthless methods. There was no need to go that far, since what could be exchanged with the " Sleepless " path was " Death " and " Giant."
Furthermore, Klein had never quite understood why the Antigonus Family insisted on placing their treasure on the main peak of the Hornacis Mountain Range, or why they trusted the people of the " Nation of Evernight " so much.
Now, he finally understood a little.
Just as Klein was about to ask another question, he suddenly noticed that the crimson moonlight shining through the church windows suddenly became clear and bright, casting long shadows of the corpses hanging in mid-air.
The red moon became clear! Klein's heart tightened. Without thinking, following the emergency plan, he raised his right hand, snapped his fingers, and lit a candle near the other wall, away from himself.
At the same time, he possessed the " Wraith " Senor, leaped forward, rolled, and arrived at the nearest outer wall.
At this moment, the entire church became unusually quiet, and the echoing murmurs ceased.
Klein's Spirituality intuition didn't detect any danger, but he noticed from the shadows on the ground that the corpses hanging in mid-air were all turning towards the side with the candlelight!
Without hesitation, Klein pressed down with his left palm, and his entire body passed through the wall, arriving outside the church. Without daring to raise his head, he used the internal force created by the " Wraith " to tumble, leap, and run towards the nearest house, which was only about ten meters away.
During this process, he did not hear any growls like wild beasts, nor did he notice any figures coming and going around him. However, he felt a pricking sensation on his back as if he were being stared at by countless eyes!
In just a second, Klein climbed over the wall to the outside of the house, pressed his palms down, and slipped inside.
Then, he snapped his fingers, remotely Flame Manipulation to extinguish the candlelight in the church.
After a brief silence and tension, the feeling of being watched by many eyes disappeared, and figures began to appear outside the closed curtains, coming and going.
PS2: Last day, please vote with monthly tickets!