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Before he even got close to the crypt, Klein felt an indescribable chill permeate his entire body. Just then, all the colors before his eyes became intensely vibrant, as if a God had splashed them with paint.
The sensation was fleeting. Klein found himself far from his original position, seeing Azik Eggers, with his bronze skin and gentle features, appear beside him.
Although Klein had anticipated a reunion with Mr. Azik when he first awoke in Tingen City, he never imagined it would be so sudden, leaving him at a loss for words.
The more Klein knew, the more concerns he had. First, he couldn't ascertain how much of his strength Azik, who was still searching for his memories, had recovered. However, the fact that he could effortlessly dispatch a Pirate Admiral and escape unscathed was enough to speak volumes.
Second, Azik was being pursued by MI9. Rashly contacting him could easily bring trouble to both of them, and it could also put Klein back under the scrutiny of the Sealed Artifact "0-08."
Although he had considered the possibility of using the gray fog to establish contact and conduct investigations, the inability to summon a messenger by blowing the copper whistle above the gray fog completely halted any further plans.
More importantly, Klein did not yet dare, nor did he wish, to expose the secrets of the gray fog to Azik Eggers, whose identity was not yet entirely confirmed.
Azik paid no attention to Klein's silence. A phantom Door materialized behind him, and the Numinous Episcopate members Klein had killed earlier slowly stood up, twitching, and walked into the Door.
All the natural spirits in the entire graveyard vanished without a sound, making it impossible to find any clues through divination or spiritualism.
After completing all this, Azik produced a dark green finger bone, tossed it to Klein, and said gently:
"Sequence 6 of the Corpse Collector Pathway is called 'Spirit Guide.' Besides being able to communicate with natural spirits and wandering specters, they can already independently enter the Spirit World and 'recruit' messengers on their own, gaining the help of certain Spirit World creatures."
"Their strength often depends on which deceased and natural spirits they can find and command. Their most proficient skill, 'Language of the Dead,' can bypass the protection of flesh and blood, elevating communication with spirits to command, or even enslavement."
"I have to say, your luck is indeed very good. With the cooperation of that powerful Sealed Artifact, this Spirit Guide was killed before he even had time to react. Am I right, Mr. Gatekeeper of Hell?"
Listening to Mr. Azik's slightly teasing voice, Klein felt a bit awkward. He regretted having spoken too much in front of those people earlier. He then reacted, asking in surprise:
"Mr. Azik, you were here all along?"
Taking the copper whistle Klein had plundered into his hand, Azik smiled and nodded:
"That's why I said you were lucky. I've been staying in Backlund partly to pursue my past memories, and partly because I sensed some auras that attracted me. Haha, like that Undying who just left."
"Also, I need to remind you: no matter which Pathway, as long as one advances to Demigod, their spirituality will undergo a qualitative leap. Without special methods to shield it, any prying will be detected."
"If I hadn't acted to conceal you, you would have been discovered by him long ago."
Upon hearing Mr. Azik's reminder, Klein suddenly realized what he had overlooked earlier and couldn't help but inwardly reflect:
"It seems my vigilance has dropped considerably since I killed Lanevus...."
After placing a simple seal on the copper whistle in his hand, Azik handed it back to Klein, adding:
"This copper whistle also belonged to a Numinous Episcopate Saint. I've already sealed it so he won't find you by following its aura. If you encounter an irresistible danger, you can throw this copper whistle out."
"You can focus on improving yourself during this time, and I can try to visit the places I've already recalled to awaken more memories."
Holding the copper whistle, which felt much less chilling, Klein hesitated for a while before saying in a low, somewhat awkward voice:
"Mr. Azik, aren't you curious why I didn't die?"
"I often enter coffins and then reawaken. This is something I recalled earlier," Azik said with an unconcerned smile. "And in my fragmented memories, similar occurrences, though rare in others, are not without precedent."
Often entered coffins and then reawaken... Often? Klein suddenly realized that the issues he worried about were not even considered problems in the eyes of true powerhouses.
As expected of an Undying of the Death Pathway... Uh, Mr. Azik said earlier that he had stayed in this Sequence for a long time. The implication is that he had already advanced, otherwise, he couldn't have gone unnoticed by that Undying just now.
Klein thought for a moment and asked with some concern:
"Mr. Azik, Ince Zangwill has a terrifying Sealed Artifact in his possession. Will he discover that I am Klein Moretti because of our meeting tonight?"
Having just reunited with Benson and Melissa in Backlund, he was very worried that Ince Zangwill would retaliate against the two people he cared about most in this world.
"He shouldn't have. At most, he'll think we've known each other for a long time," Azik recalled. "But that Grade '0' Sealed Artifact might perceive it. However, you don't need to worry."
"Why?" Klein pressed.
Azik suddenly remembered something, and his expression became a bit strange, as if he wanted to laugh yet felt horrified:
"That Grade '0' Sealed Artifact will constantly try to write its owner to Death. This should be its essence and will not change."
"Therefore, I don't believe it would voluntarily reveal information that could cause Ince Zangwill great trouble at such a critical moment, unless it involves an unavoidable and inexplicable situation."
Seeing Mr. Azik speak with such certainty and reason, Klein exhaled, and his worries eased considerably.
At Klein's request, Mr. Azik used the "Underworld" to seal the "All-Black Eye," reducing its negative effects. Looking at the delighted Klein, he thought for a moment and reminded him:
"When you are ready to leave Backlund, you can write me a letter. I have a Sealed Artifact here that is quite suitable for you. Hmm, you should have heard its name: 'Creeping Hunger.'"
Klein's eyes immediately lit up, feeling that Mr. Azik was so kind tonight. At the same time, he understood his concerns:
The official forces in Backlund almost all knew that "Creeping Hunger" was in Mr. Azik's hands. Using this Sealed Artifact here would be almost equivalent to inviting trouble.
-----------------
Berserk Sea, Oravi Island, deep within the Governor's Mansion.
Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt, watching Aaron approach him, tilted his head slightly and looked out the window, gazing at the crimson moon and scattered stars in the night.
After a moment of silence, he offered no explanation. He picked up the pen and paper he had prepared earlier, placed on the windowsill, and began to write briskly.
Each stroke of his pen seemed to unleash golden light, the scene as solemn and sacred as if he were drafting a law.
Noticing Amyrius Rieveldt's unusual behavior, Aaron instinctively looked up at the deep night sky, and sudden thoughts flashed through his mind like lightning.
In the original timeline, this Admiral had made a crucial change regarding whether to sign the contract due to certain reasons. This led to Cynthia's urgent consumption of the "Reproduction Necklace" powder, causing her to directly sense an anomaly in the Mother Tree of Desire.
Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt, bathed in the crimson moonlight:
"For George III to decide to replace this Admiral, it at least indicates a certain conflict between him and the royal family."
"Under this assumption, Amyrius, also from an ancient family, wouldn't fail to leave himself a fallback."
"And among the official forces in Loen, the only ones who can contend with or even surpass the royal family are the three major Churches."
"Excluding the God of Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, which is foreign and has shallow roots, the remaining choices are only the Church of the Lord of Storms and the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
"And this Admiral has rarely stayed at the naval headquarters in the Mid-Sonia Sea, 'City of Generosity' Bayam, intentionally avoiding that Sea King, Jahn Kottman...."
As Aaron pondered, Amyrius stopped his pen, picked up the page, and said to Aaron:
"I do not wish for our conversation tonight to be known by others. If you agree, please sign your name at the bottom."
Aaron, who had once been an Imperative Mage, clearly knew this was a contract. He took the paper, scanned it briefly, and then wrote his name.
As the last letter was completed, Aaron clearly saw the words on the paper emit golden light one by one, converging into a brilliant radiance.
Enveloped in the brilliant radiance, the paper quickly faded and disappeared, as if merging with the rules of the world.
Invisible dark-gold mist gently swayed around him, and Aaron distinctly felt layers of indescribable restrictions added to his body.
As Aaron's consciousness connected with the Nation of Disorder, these restrictions, integrated into his spirit and flesh, were drawn away from his body, converging towards an unknown location.
Glancing at the unaware Amyrius Rieveldt, Aaron's lips curved slightly upward, and he followed the Admiral into the antechamber behind the study.
Passing through intricate passages, the two arrived at a secret room. It was filled with densely packed sea charts, covered with various markings. A rough shipping lane gradually took shape, enclosed by these markings.
This was a secret route with starting points spread across the northern Southern Continent, such as the Northern States, the Paz River Valley, and even the Ancient Forest, all converging at Pritz Harbor. And on all these maps, a single location was marked: Backlund!
-----------------
Northern Berserk Sea, Desi Bay, Conant.
Ademisaul, wearing a baseball cap, uncomfortably moved away from the Red Theater, detoured into a nearby alley, and arrived at a dimly lit herbal shop.
His gaze swept across the room, and he suddenly froze, for the owner was an acquaintance.
The owner wore a rural witch doctor's black robe, was in his thirties, with black hair and brown eyes, a very round face, and a plump physique. It was the Apothecary he had met in Tingen.
This guy is my junior nephew, the one my senior brother mentioned?
Ademisaul stood rooted to the spot for a moment, even wondering if the contact information his unseen senior brother had given him earlier was fake.
The plump Apothecary Darkwill, who was sound asleep, didn't notice a customer had arrived. Instead, a round-eyed owl perched on the counter raised its head and stared intently at Ademisaul.
The owl flapped its wings, and a sharp voice echoed through the small shop:
"Darkwill, we have a customer!"
Having already advanced to Sequence 7 Lucky One, and with his spirituality enhanced, Ademisaul looked at the plump owl, his brow slightly raised:
"Is this a Beyonder creature?"
Startled by the owl's sharp voice, Darkwill nearly fell off his reclining chair. Enraged, he wanted to grab the creature that had ruined his beautiful dream, but the owl nimbly dodged him. He gasped twice and roared:
"You stupid bird, just you wait!"
Only then did he realize there seemed to be a customer standing at the door. The smile he had just forced onto his face instantly vanished when he saw the somewhat familiar face.
Watching Darkwill, Ademisaul's eye twitched slightly, but he calmly said:
"We meet again. I am the Life School of Thought member who wrote to you earlier. Your contact information was given to me by my senior brother, Roy King."
Upon hearing the names of the Life School of Thought and his teacher, Darkwill's tense body slowly relaxed, then he suddenly raised his voice:
"Senior brother?"
Unexpectedly meeting an acquaintance from Tingen here, Ademisaul considered his relationship with this guy for a moment, then calmly explained his identity in general terms.
The fat on his face trembled slightly, and Darkwill managed a smile, but he couldn't bring himself to utter the word "junior grand-uncle." He said flatteringly:
"So that's how it is. I almost failed to recognize a superior. Please, come in quickly."
The plump owl flapped its wings leisurely and landed on Ademisaul's shoulder, its round eyes intently fixed on the plump Apothecary Darkwill, as if afraid Ademisaul wouldn't hear, it loudly said:
"Hmm, your body language and expression tell me that your true inner thought is, 'Oh, this young punk is actually my junior grand-uncle. Could it be that my unseen grand-teacher just prefers this tender style?'"
As the voice fell, Darkwill's face visibly flushed, and he roared with a trembling voice:
"I knew I shouldn't have let you read those terrible books, you ungrateful stupid bird! I'm going to pluck all your feathers!"
The owl, perched on Ademisaul's shoulder, stared with wide, round eyes at the furious but hesitant Darkwill, and continued earnestly:
"Please call me Mr. Harry. Hmm, if you insist on thinking that way, there's nothing I can do."
"I recently read something Emperor Roselle said, 'A good bird chooses a tree to perch on, and a good minister chooses a lord to serve,' and it greatly inspired me!"
Darkwill's expression instantly stiffened. He looked at the owl in disbelief, momentarily at a loss for words.
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