At the top of the Tower in the City of Silver.
"Demon Hunter" Colin Iliad stood by the window, looking out at the alternating light and dark environment, gazing at the sky in the deep Darkness.
The shadow in the corner of the room distorted and writhed, transforming into an unreal dark figure, and a low, hoarse voice emerged:
"Chief, Derrick Berg has been brought. Do you need him to come in now?"
Colin Iliad retracted his gaze, paced from the window to the desk, and nodded:
"Let him in. You go prepare at the base of the Tower first."
Bowing respectfully, the shadow in the corner of the wall distorted and collapsed, swiftly disappearing, and the room door opened in response.
A somewhat apprehensive Derrick Berg stood at the doorway, meeting the chief's deep and Vicissitudes pale blue eyes. He subconsciously wanted to scratch his head but forcibly restrained the impulse, then spoke in a low voice:
"Chief, what do you need me for?"
Colin Iliad glanced at the somewhat restrained Derrick Berg, nodded almost imperceptibly, and then spoke steadily:
"Your potion is digesting very well. You can attempt to advance to Sequence 7 in less than a month."
"The transaction you mentioned earlier has been discussed with the Council of Six."
"The City of Silver does have surplus 'Silver Knight' Beyonder characteristics in reserve, but they were all obtained at the cost of countless lives of City of Silver residents over thousands of years. While the potion formula is precious, its value is not entirely equivalent."
"Therefore, in addition to the potion formula, the City of Silver also requires a replacement holy-grade Sealed Artifact from the Sun domain. You can inform the person who proposed the transaction that if they agree, we can complete the transaction today."
"Of course, as a sign of our sincerity, that Sealed Artifact from the Sun domain does not need to be paid immediately."
Derrick's expression tightened, feeling a sense of relief as if a heavy stone had fallen from his heart. The City of Silver's holy-grade Sealed Artifact was equivalent to a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in the outside world, and given the 'Silver Knight's' level, the Sealed Artifact from the Sun domain that the chief requested only corresponded to Sequence 4.
Having long since labeled Mr. "Emperor" as "mysterious and powerful" in his mind, Derrick had no doubt that the other party could produce it. After receiving the chief's approval, he immediately found an empty room and prayed in a low voice.
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Klein, who was in a daze in the dream world, suddenly heard a familiar prayer. Ripples spread, and the dream world completely shattered.
Uncertain whether the Church of the Evernight Goddess was still monitoring him, Klein pretended to have just woken up, walking sleepily to the washroom. Using the sound of running water, he quickly divined and confirmed that he was not currently being monitored.
Sigh, even the Church's elite Red Gloves are too trusting of dream inquiries. If I were that person just now, I would definitely prepare an extra psychological questionnaire to bring into the dream…
As refreshing water washed over his face, Klein quickly gathered his thoughts. He wanted to see who was so impolite as to disturb Mr. Fool's rest in the middle of the night.
Walking four steps counter-clockwise, he arrived above the gray fog. Sitting at the head of the long bronze table, Klein pointed his finger at the constantly contracting and expanding crimson star, and Derrick's suppressed, youthful voice immediately echoed.
The City of Silver agreed? That means I'm about to get a demigod, or more accurately, a Sequence 3 level potion formula, right?
The corners of his mouth unconsciously curved upwards, and Klein immediately felt invigorated, throwing this image into the crimson star representing Mr. "Emperor" with great anticipation.
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Osel, the capital of the East Tucker County.
After seeing off "Red Light" Aiur Moria, Aaron returned alone to the study in the Duke's mansion. After a moment of thought, he raised his hands, assumed a praying posture, and chanted in ancient Hermes:
"Evernight Goddess who stands higher than the Cosmos, more eternal than eternity, You are the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, and also the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, the Mistress of Repose and Silence…."
This time, Aaron did not perform any ritual, because he was not praying for a boon, nor did he expect a response. He was merely describing the problem described by "Red Light," so a direct prayer was sufficient.
After praying, Aaron exhaled and drew a crimson moon on his chest, patiently waiting for possible developments.
After waiting for a few minutes, Aaron neither received an revelation nor did a lady in a simple linen robe appear. In a sense, this also indicated the Evernight Goddess's attitude.
Although he had anticipated it, he still felt a headache. Just as he was pondering how to solve the Astral World problem next, ripples spread from his wrist, and the cross statue Adam had given him in Tingen quietly appeared.
This… Even if Aaron didn't touch the sculpture, a gray light still surged out, and a scene immediately appeared before his eyes:
In Osel City, in front of the church where Audrey had been engaged, a priest wearing an unusually simple white robe and a light golden beard that covered the lower half of his face sat quietly in the empty square.
As if sensing Aaron's gaze, he looked up, his eyes clear and innocent like a child's, his expression gentle and reserved, with a silver cross pendant hanging on his chest.
Adam!
This name surfaced in his mind, and Aaron's face twitched slightly. He already understood the Evernight Goddess's meaning. This "former Lord of the Astral World" indeed had the ability to temporarily obscure, and did not care about the hostility of the Seven Deities.
Although he felt that the Evernight Goddess and Adam might have reached a tacit understanding on this matter, Aaron still dared not go in person. The feeling of helplessness when he was trapped in the Corpse Cathedral in Tingen was still vivid in his mind.
But Adam had already come to Osel, so he couldn't pretend not to see him. Aaron sighed, and as his spirituality surged, just as he was about to summon his historical projection to go in his stead, a crimson light suddenly appeared before him again.
What's going on tonight?
Temporarily suppressing the idea of immediately going to see Adam, Aaron, after understanding the City of Silver's demands, first conveyed his willingness to trade, and then swiftly brought back a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from the Sun domain from the Nation of Disorder.
It was a mottled bronze candelabrum, with extremely brilliant candlelight bound by an invisible force.
This was part of Solomon's treasure that Aaron himself had collected from "Lost City of Newins."
However, since there was no demand for High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Sun domain within the family, and the undead in Alvin Gallows's "Gate of Rebirth" were extremely repulsed, coupled with the overwhelming power of the "Sun Chaser Scepter," it had been left in the clutter pile.
He quickly set up the ritual and sacrificed this Sealed Artifact along with the already prepared "Silver Knight" potion formula to The Fool Klein.
Knowing that the City of Silver would only provide the "Silver Knight" Beyonder characteristic after verifying the correctness of the potion formula, which would take some time.
He immediately canceled the sacrifice and bestowal ritual, and as his spirituality surged into the Ring of Mysteries in his hand, Aaron summoned his historical projection and directly entered a hidden state.
After the historical projection gained consciousness, it immediately initiated a Spirit World Travel, stepping out into the central square.
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City of Silver, top floor of the Tower.
After receiving a definite reply, Colin looked at the somewhat excited Derrick, nodded, and motioned for him to follow, descending the spiral staircase step by step.
"Powerful and dangerous Sealed Artifacts are stored at the bottom of the Tower. Follow me."
Halfway down, they heard heart-wrenching cries and shouts.
Hearing this sound, Derrick, who had been smiling, suddenly stiffened as if struck by lightning, sweat seeping from his forehead. He whispered, his expression pained and somewhat confused:
"It's starting again?"
Colin did not turn back, nodding silently, and replied in a hoarse voice:
"Yes, this is our inescapable fate."
At this moment, in a hall on the middle level of the Tower.
Members of an exploration team who had been corrupted outside were being pressed down by a tangible divine radiance, unable to move, as if burdened by a giant mountain.
One by one, people, old and young, holding swords or knives, trembling, raised their weapons.
This was the ancient curse that enveloped everyone in the City of Silver: they had to personally kill their blood relatives to prevent them from turning into terrifying and bizarre evil spirits after death.
The cries and screams brought back painful memories buried deep in his heart. Derrick suddenly clenched his fists and whispered solemnly and resolutely:
"I will end this inherited fate, I definitely will…."
Colin, walking ahead, paused slightly but said nothing more.
The crying gradually faded, leaving only the sound of footsteps on the stairs. After calming his emotions, Derrick's experience of exploring in the Darkness made him instinctively listen carefully, and he heard faint, sharp, mournful sobs within the footsteps.
His hair bristled, and his entire body suddenly tensed, adopting a highly defensive posture.
Just then, thumping sounds spread. Derrick was about to pray for holy light and warn the chief when his vision suddenly brightened. The chief drew his longsword just as lightning flashed.
The thumping against the wall instantly vanished, and the bottom of the Tower returned to silence.
This was not absolute silence, but a silence where faint footsteps could echo far and linger for a long time.
In this eerie silence, Colin led Derrick to a half-open room, pointed, and said:
"I'll go get the corresponding Sealed Artifact. You can prepare here. This is the bottom of the Tower, protected by a divine-grade Sealed Artifact."
Understanding the chief's hint, Derrick immediately nodded. After the chief left, he closed the door and began to pray softly to the honorific name of "The Fool."
In a completely dark room not far away, a faint light suddenly appeared in the absolute Darkness, like the reflection from a lens, and a low voice echoed:
"I didn't expect this, truly interesting…."
After the slightly playful voice sounded, the sound of a heavy object falling followed, as if a corpse had dropped to the ground.
Derrick, still praying softly, inexplicably felt his hair stand on end. He subconsciously looked around but found nothing.
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After receiving Aaron's sacrifice, Klein first looked at the "Silver Knight" potion formula and immediately gasped.
A blessing from a deity? If Little Sun were to pray for my blessing, wouldn't that expose me….
Amidst his swirling thoughts, Klein's gaze, directed at the prayer scene, suddenly froze.
Around the blurry, hard-to-see "Sun" was entwined a transparent, illusory figure!
It had hands and feet, but like a python, it distorted around the "Sun," its head reaching behind the "Sun"'s head!
In the hazy image, it seemed to be wearing a black classical robe and a matching pointed soft hat, with a crystal-like monocle on its face.
The "Sun" was completely unaware of all this!
When? Klein almost gasped again, startled by the other party's bizarre methods.
As his thoughts raced, Klein looked at the Grade 1 Sealed Artifact Aaron had just sacrificed and this mysterious gray fog space. A flash of inspiration struck him, and he began to modify the Evernight Goddess's secret prayer ritual, intending to turn it into a secret communion ritual belonging to "The Fool."
He only needed to replace the honorific name with the three phrases of "King of Yellow and Black," and secondly, change the symbolic emblem to the one behind the The Fool's chair, a unique symbol composed of the "Pupiless Eye" symbolizing secrecy and the "Distorted Lines" symbolizing change.
After a while of busy work, he had a new secret communion ritual, though he didn't know if it would be effective.
Taking a deep breath, with no other better option, he directly transmitted the ritual to Derrick and began the secret prayer ritual.
Klein immediately felt the entire mysterious space tremble slightly, and the seemingly static grayish-white fog showed obvious flowing!
The crimson star corresponding to the "Sun" then glowed brightly, emitting a tide-like illusory light.
These countless lights condensed, forming the blurry figure of the "Sun." He was in a praying posture, eyes closed, head bowed, waiting to gradually align with the great existence and gain a wonderful spiritual experience.
On his body, the transparent figure was still tightly coiled like a python, but its head was tilted back, looking upwards, and the crystal monocle was flashing faintly.
At the same time, Klein used his own spirituality as a vortex, drawing the stirred power within the mysterious space, guiding it like a tide towards the bronze candelabrum sacrificed by Aaron.
The slight tremor above the gray fog instantly became more pronounced. Specks of pure light intertwined, sweeping, rushing towards Klein, merging with his spirituality.
The dark golden bronze candelabrum immediately bloomed with dazzling brilliance, growing brighter and denser. Golden flames surged out, forming a golden figure as tall as Klein, and a majestic aura stirred ripples within the gray fog space.
The Sealed Artifact sacrificed by Mr. "Emperor" is actually this strong! As this thought just surfaced, his peripheral vision caught a terrifying scene:
Within the "Sun" figure outlined by the illusory light of the crimson star, a distorted, blurry light figure suddenly reached forward, slowly but firmly extending into the boundary of the crimson star, giving the impression of penetrating the barrier between reality and illusion.
Whoosh!
For the first time, the boundless grayish-white fog showed a hint of chaos. The previous "flowing" seemed to have converged into waves, into a great wind.
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In the deep Darkness, location unknown, a lightning bolt ripped across the sky, illuminating the vicinity.
This was a plain full of ravines, where a cyan-black cyclops wandered aimlessly.
Its eyes were lifeless, its face covered in signs of decay and pus, and grayish-yellow gases emanated from its body, intertwining in mid-air to form clouds.
And at its feet, in the deepest ravine of that plain, a figure stood at the edge, looking down.
Aided by the lightning, a heavy, vast grayish-white building vaguely appeared at the bottom of the ravine.
The figure wore a black classical robe and a matching pointed soft hat, identical to the illusion Klein had seen.
He raised a hand and pinched the crystal monocle, then turned his head to the left, looking into the distance.
"Interesting, but what a pity…." He suddenly whispered, speaking in ancient Feysac.
After a pause, the figure's lips curved into a smile, and he uttered a single word:
"The Fool."
Before the words finished, he had already leaped into the ravine before him.
At this moment, the lightning subsided for a second, and Darkness completely enveloped this world.