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As Patrick Bryan chanted, the various skulls surrounding the deep black coffin gradually took on a layer of dark green, which blended with their inherent white, creating an extremely chilling sensation.
The voice, seemingly from the Underworld, echoed continuously, and the skulls floated up one by one, as if imbued with their own vitality.
Then, in an orderly chaos, they flew towards the heavy, paint black coffin, passing through the lid as if without substance, and entering inside.
The coffin immediately transformed into a deep, insatiable vortex, expanding in place, emitting a cold, chilling, lofty aura that made Patrick Bryan instinctively tremble and lower his head.
This was the aura of an Angel, a Death Consul!
From within the deep vortex formed by the black coffin, an old, cold voice emerged, making one's soul feel as if it would directly leave the body:
"Go to Backlund, spread the faith of the God, and collect clues about the various things left behind by the God."
"Lead loyal believers and continue to try to awaken the God. You are the host of the operation and the core element of the ritual."
Patrick Bryan did not question the words of High Priest Heiter, nor was he surprised why he had to go to Backlund, because the other party was a Blessed of the God, an agent of the God!
He respectfully nodded and said:
"I will bear in mind the God's teachings."
"May every spirit live forever in the God's kingdom!"
While speaking, he used the prayer posture of the current Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death Faction, which was to raise both hands, with thumbs touching, placed on the center of the forehead.
—In the corresponding mystical theories, this is the core of the Underworld within every Gatekeeper, representing the position of Death.
After Patrick finished speaking, the old, cold voice sounded again:
"That's all for today. If you have anything else, contact Flora Tristan; she will fulfill your requests."
"Yes, Your Excellency the High Priest." Patrick Bryan stood up, bowed, and retreated to the edge of the altar.
The "Ferrying Boat" slowly emerged on the illusory, black water surface. Patrick stepped forward alone, and the pale, faintly dark green light grew fainter and fainter. The "Ferrying Boat" finally disappeared into the Darkness, as if it had never appeared.
Seeing Patrick leave, Flora Tristan, who had been silently standing, spoke faintly:
"High Priest, is it not appropriate for you to send him to Backlund? There are several major Churches and the Loen Royal Family there."
This Demigod had done nothing yet, but merely her words made the surroundings even colder, as if countless unseen creatures were reveling.
A sigh came from the coffin:
"Recently, the activation of the Uniqueness has stalled. Relying on ordinary sacrifices is no longer enough to speed up the process."
"More suitable rituals would cause unknown changes. The last change has already caused me to slumber in the mausoleum until now, still unable to leave here."
"But in order to awaken the God faster, some risks are necessary to take, even if something unexpected happens, Backlund can be destroyed."
-----------------
Osel, East Tucker Manor.
Aaron's expression was somewhat solemn. After returning to reality from the Spirit World, he first went to confirm the current location of his father, Gusman Weil.
Through the exchange of telegrams, it was finally confirmed that Gusman was currently in Conant City in Desi Bay.
That place had a large port and was also the closest Loen naval base to the West Balam colony on the Southern Continent.
Unlike an Imperative Mage, an Iron-Blooded Knight can establish a hidden connection with the army, concentrating the power of the entire fleet on themselves and unleashing terrifying strength.
However, both the movement of the army and the deployment of the fleet require a certain amount of time, so Gusman was still in Conant City and had not yet officially gone to the Southern Continent.
After understanding the situation, his originally somewhat impatient state of mind finally calmed down. Regardless of the reason Hermes showed goodwill, the information He revealed must be taken seriously.
With the token given by Varna, Aaron arrived at the Ancestral Tower's underground hall without hindrance.
Looking at the figure still sitting on the bronze high-backed chair, Aaron recounted his encounter with Hermes in full, only concealing his own secrets.
Varna was silent for a while, then spoke in a low voice, as if already knowing what Aaron wanted to ask:
"I did indeed gradually recover with the help of that one, and it is thanks to that one's hidden authority that no one knows I have recovered."
He paused, then continued with a hint of complexity in his tone:
"The War Bishop Hermes mentioned is my child, Ward Will."
"He was born at the end of the Fourth Epoch, and thanks to the chaos of that era, he achieved the War Bishop in continuous wars."
Speaking of this, He sighed, then changed the subject:
"You also know that after a high-Sequence powerhouse dies, the Beyonder characteristic that precipitates will have residual mental imprints. These are very strong and resilient; simply relying on time, they might not completely dissipate for hundreds or even thousands of years."
"Many people, in order to effectively reduce the difficulty of advancement, consume a 'Potion' similar to their own Spirit Body."
"But most of them will be affected by the residual mental imprints within, unknowingly developing personality splits and other conditions, gradually evolving into mental patchwork Monsters, just as if the original high-Sequence powerhouse had resurrected in them."
"During the twenty-year war back then, the War Bishop of the Einhorn family of the Feysac Royal Family, who fought against us, was in this situation."
"The already barely maintained mental balance could no longer be sustained after the Death battle with Ward Will, leading to an unknown mutation."
Meeting Aaron's surprised and curious gaze, Varna sighed:
"Although Ward ultimately won a tragic victory and was on the verge of losing control as a result, under the influence of the convergence instinct, he eventually formed a mental patchwork Monster with the War Bishop of the Einhorn family."
"And the War Bishop, before completely going mad, was already a mental patchwork Monster to some extent. His self-perception and mental imprint partly belonged to a certain ancestor of the Einhorn family contained within the Beyonder characteristic."
"Ward is not an Angel, and many methods he cannot withstand. He can only wear down the invading mental imprints through slumber, but he is still sleeping even now."
Aaron nodded, his thoughts racing. The Pathway most proficient in the spiritual domain is naturally the Spectator Pathway, which is difficult for other Pathways to match.
If Hermes was willing to act, for a mental imprint at the Sequence 3 level, He would definitely have a way to resolve it.
But this is not urgent for now. Without sufficient strength, rash contact would only expose more.
Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Aaron pondered and said:
"We must be prepared. Since someone wants to force you to act, no matter how we avoid them, they will not give up easily."
"So we must be prepared to show them what they want to see."
Varna lightly tapped the armrest of the chair with his finger, then suddenly flipped his right hand, and a dark gold token appeared out of thin air, floating above his palm.
Aaron felt an inexplicable pull, and his gaze involuntarily lifted to look at the token, his pupils instantly constricting.
He had already recognized it; this was precisely the token that could find and open the treasure of the Specter Empire.
Before Aaron could speak, Varna chuckled, and the dark gold token with complex patterns already floated in front of Aaron.
"You have given me many surprises. This token is officially entrusted to you. I hope you will not disappoint my expectations..."
-----------------
East Chester County, in the Hall Family manor.
Audrey sat in front of the dressing table, recalling the ritual Aaron had taught her. After clumsily setting it up, she lit the candles and began to summon the messenger.
She took out Amantha dew. As the candlelight flickered, the few drops of dew quickly evaporated, filling the room.
An extremely familiar, clear, and charming scent wafted into Audrey's nose, relaxing her tension and quickly calming her mind, as if she were overlooking the Darkness in the dead of night.
Then, she spoke in somewhat unpracticed ancient hermes:
"I!"
"I summon in my name;"
"The spirit wandering in nothingness, the upper-world creature driven by others, the messenger exclusive to Lucivide Joseph."
As the spirituality stored in the "Emerald Chain" spread, a translucent, much smaller and solidified eye emerged, its surface covered with obscure, interconnected patterns.
Audrey took the letter, and at the same time placed her own letter in the center of the altar. Then she curiously observed this rather peculiar-looking messenger. She clearly remembered it wasn't like this when she was in Backlund.
After observing for a moment, Audrey suddenly realized this was impolite. She immediately averted her gaze, suppressed the doubts in her heart, and bowed slightly with great politeness:
"Thank you, Mr. Messenger."
After the messenger disappeared, Audrey put away the candles and other items, went to the desk, and eagerly unfolded the letter.
Sunlight filled the room. After an unknown amount of time, Audrey was suddenly startled awake by the loud, urgent barking of a dog, followed by a familiar voice:
"Alright, Susie, stop barking. What are you doing squatting at Miss's door?"
Audrey immediately stuck out her tongue in a rather unladylike manner. She glanced at the time on the wall and was stunned:
"Oh no, it's already been over an hour. If I don't go on today's exploration, it will be too late."
Audrey very skillfully put away the letter on the desk, tucked it into an unused book, and placed it on the small bookshelf in her bedroom. Then, she walked lightly to the door and pulled it open.
A large golden retriever sat obediently outside, with her personal maid, Annie, standing beside her with a helpless expression.
Audrey's lips curved upwards, revealing a smile as bright as sunlight, and praised inwardly:
"Susie, you've done a wonderful job with your task!"
"A detective Miss indeed needs a large dog to follow her."
Her personal maid, Annie, seeing Audrey walk out, said with a somewhat helpless tone:
"Miss, the outdoor activity you proposed yesterday is all ready, but you still haven't changed your clothes."
"As a noble, you must change into different attire for different occasions and display the proper etiquette."
Looking at the chattering Annie, Audrey couldn't help but rub her forehead and said gently:
"Alright, Annie, I know. Come help me change."
....
East Chester County in early February was still cold, with frequent snow. The woods were bare-branched and leafless, beasts hidden, utterly lifeless.
East Chester County, in the vast and beautiful countryside, at the side gate of an expansive manor.
Audrey, dressed in a cinched black riding habit with a simply decorated lady's shirt underneath, sat quite skillfully on the back of a reddish-brown mare, without the slightest sway.
Her black leather boots rested in the stirrups, her white-trousered legs slightly tucked in, and she turned her head to look at Susie, the golden retriever, who was running playfully beside her, carrying a small leather bag on her back.
One by one, fine horses galloped out, ridden by attendants, maids, and even a Nighthawks who followed, and their only task was to protect Miss Audrey.
Galloping on the snowy road, Audrey recalled Aaron's narrative and the family records of several villages in East Chester County with dragon worship customs.
A cold wind swept by, and Audrey's delicate face seemed to blur for a moment.
She suddenly reined in her horse, very naturally turned it around, and headed back in the direction she came from, seemingly having forgotten her previous thoughts and plans.
And the surrounding attendants and the Nighthawks followed without any question, as if all of this was perfectly natural.
Only Susie's eyes showed a human-like confusion. After a bark, she looked at the outline of Hartlarkh Village, which was already appearing in the distance, before chasing after them.
Below the spiritual sky, the deep, dark Sea of subconsciousness, where every drop of liquid was like a light and shadow, seemingly representing a point of consciousness, an imprint.
Near this great Sea, there were several islands, corresponding to the mental islands of Audrey and her group.
And above these mental islands stood a figure, dressed in a thin, pure black overcoat and a tall top hat, possessing a refined and gentle demeanor. It was precisely the identity separated from "Gluttony" Howard-Philip.
His gaze was profound, and through the subconscious ocean, he saw the group of people leaving the outside world, muttering thoughtfully:
"Audrey Hall, Aaron Weil..."
He then withdrew his gaze, floating above the island, and looked to the west.
There was a large expanse of lonely, silent gray mist, obscuring the view.
Even with Howard's Demigod status, he could only see the vast and deep black outline of the subconscious and the illusory, rippling Sea of Collective Subconscious, unable to obtain much information.
Within that gloom, the outlines of some things were vaguely sketched out:
They were giant stone pillars, dozens to hundreds of meters high, standing alone or collectively supporting magnificent but ancient palaces.
These stone pillars and palaces were primarily gray and white, resting on island-like foundations, with a long-bodied lizard-like Monster perched above them.
This Monster squatted on the top of the stone pillar, like a small mountain, its body covered in large, gray-white stone-like scales, and its eyes were pale gold and vertical.
This was a mental Dragon from a mythical legend.
Although this scene disappeared in an instant, submerging into the illusory, rippling Sea of Collective Subconscious, it still made Howard's breathing falter slightly.
"Hartlarkh Village..."
Howard sighed, and after silently repeating the name in his mind, his figure disappeared into the subconscious Sea.
He had no intention of going to Hartlarkh Village to investigate the truth. With Hermes's reminder and warning, he had long understood that a Demigod's strength was insufficient to deal with that mental Dragon.
Even if this was just a separated identity, theoretically, even Death would not affect the main body.
But facing a mental Dragon that could also be a high-level Spectator Pathway Beyonder, and without knowing the opponent's methods, Howard was unwilling to take risks for the Psychology Alchemists' mission.
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