Upon hearing Helmosuin's reply, Klein couldn't help but twitch the corner of his lips. He nearly froze on the spot.
My enemies aren't in Bayam... Even if you were to die at Sea King's doorstep, it wouldn't be of much use... He slowly drew a breath and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he asked, "Helmosuin, no—Mr. Hilarion, how did you notice me?"
You even came here before your death to specially warn me!
This was also the puzzlement he had towards Arrodes and Reinette Tinekerr. He just never had a chance to ask them.
With the door in between them, Helmosuin fell silent for two seconds. Then, he said with a smile in his tone, "There are some tiny unique traits about you. In high-level creatures of the spirit world, it's no secret. It's noticeable as long as they make contact with you in close proximity. After all, the gray fog that represents the great ruler of the spirit world is above our heads. Deities with certain unique authorities or Beyonders who represent fate can also discover this point to a certain extent. Of course, the premise is that close contact has to be made."
Gray fog... Although Orange Light's explanation and Arrodes's compliments are nearly identical, he is the first person I've met that directly pointed out the gray fog to me to my face! Therefore, the mysterious space is the divine kingdom above the spirit world left behind by the great ruler? Which Sequence 0 pathway is this? The deities who can discover that I'm augmented by the gray fog include the Mother Tree of Desire, so "She" was able to target me? Klein's thoughts bubbled like boiling water as all sorts of questions popped in his head.
Just as he was about to speak, Helmosuin had continued, "In Yellow Light's prophecy, the great ruler above the spirit world is one of the variables of the apocalypse. However, I cannot be sure that you are equivalent to ‘Him.' There are too many possibilities for you that allow that unique trait; for example, you being ‘His' Blessed, ‘His' child, or ‘His' chosen oracle, but none of this stops me from expressing my friendship.
"Ahem. You know about Backlund's stock exchange, right? You're like a railway company that just got listed. You seem to have a bright future ahead. Some people will naturally think well of you and purchase a certain number of shares, but there will be no lack of people who are greedy. They wish to use other means to seize this company or obtain the controlling rights. I'm part of the former, while Mother Tree of Desire and even more powerful spirit world creatures are part of the latter.
Is that so... If it wasn't because the transmigrator, Emperor Roselle, who existed before me, had some level of interaction with the gray fog, and if I hadn't divined my origins in that mysterious space and received clear scenes of Earth, allowing me to recall even more of my memories, I would've suspected if I was the reincarnation of the great ruler above the spirit world... Taking everything into account from this experience, Emperor Roselle and I are more like the chosen oracles... The great ruler above the gray fog is equivalent to the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth? Klein couldn't help but generate all kinds of conjectures as his mind was in a mess like a cat playing a ball of yarn.
He calmed his emotions and said, "Is there any way to hide this unique trait?"
"Become a demigod." Helmosuin suddenly coughed after answering. "Do you mind if I die at your doorstep?"
"... Yes." Klein didn't wish to draw the attention of Sea King Jahn Kottman, Naval Admiral Robert Davis, and other demigods.
Helmosuin munched at his sweet and said, "Then, I'll have to leave immediately, or else there wouldn't be time.
"After you become a demigod and have the powers to probe deep into the spirit world, we might have a chance of meeting."
Klein was silent for two seconds before saying, "Thank you for your warning, Mr. Hilarion."
Helmosuin didn't reply as he lumbered to the staircase.
As he listened to the footsteps down the stairs, Klein focused. Suddenly, he had a certain theory about why Emperor Roselle had failed to enter despite discovering the existence of the gray fog.
He restored that silver plate which resulted in his transmigration far after he became a Beyonder. As for me, I was already an ordinary person when I attempted the luck enhancement ritual again... Also, Emperor Roselle chose the Savant pathway, while I took the Seer pathway. The mysterious space above the gray fog clearly provides great aid in divination.
Therefore, the prerequisites for entering the space above the gray fog is to be an ordinary person or be a Beyonder of the Seer pathway, as well as knowing of the corresponding incantation, rituals, and symbols? The emperor's experiments were too late, and he had chosen the wrong pathway, so he naturally had no means of entering it.
With how the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathways are considered neighboring pathways, perhaps the former two would work too. Could this be the deeper reason why the emperor made the poignant point in his diary that he should've chosen one of these three pathways? Apart from not having any Sequence 0 for these three pathways, preventing any influence from the peak, it's also the key to entering the gray fog?
As his thoughts churned, Klein placed this matter, which he couldn't obtain any confirmation of, at the back of his mind. He began considering Orange Light Hilarion's warning.
Be careful of the Mother Tree of Desire!
Due to the incident as Admiral Amyrius, Klein was rather wary against the Mother Tree of Desire. He had no choice but to change his identity and use the need for him to act, so as to hide for two months. Subsequently, he wasn't too willing to provoke Admiral of Blood and other members of the Rose School of Thought, afraid that he would fall into a trap.
Towards the extreme danger lurking around, a normal human's first thought was to resolve the matter. It was likewise the same for Klein. However, the problem was that he had no solutions.
The Mother Tree of Desire was suspected to be a Sequence 0 true god located in the astral world. Even if Klein jumped up, there was no way he could hit "Her" or defeat "Her." And the faction, the Rose School of Thought, that "She" controlled was an organization with quite a long history. It likely had angels presiding over it and had Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts. Otherwise, it was very difficult for them to survive to this day with the Churches and all the secret organizations at odds with it. Therefore, even if Klein had plans of getting the help of Mr. Azik or other powerful figures, there was no way he could uproot the Rose School of Thought. It was even possible that they would encounter danger.
Due to these reasons, Klein could only hide and hope that he could successfully advance to Sequence 4 and become a demigod.
I've always been careful against the Mother Tree of Desire. Mr. Orange Light Hilarion didn't know that I once fell for the evil god's trap at Oravi Island?
Or did he specially come over to warn me that "She" would be doing something major soon?
Hmm... He was previously under Admiral of Blood's control, and Admiral of Blood is a member of the Rose School of Thought. He might very well know of something!
Klein was instantly alarmed. He didn't just blindly believe that a Faceless transformation was enough to fool the Mother Tree of Desire's attention!
According to Orange Light Hilarion's explanation, "She" would be able to discover certain unique traits when in close proximity with me. This is something the Faceless Beyonder powers are unable to mask! "She" hasn't done anything in a while. Could it be that "She" is attempting to use this sensation to bestow something to "Her" believers through some ritual or item, and that "She" is about to succeed soon? Klein slowly frowned as he felt that it was certainly a possibility.
This made him more eager to return to Backlund. In that huge city, even angels had to behave themselves, just like a particular Snake of Fate. The believers of the Mother Tree of Desire and the powerhouses of the Rose School of Thought were unable to act as they wished. All they could do was wait for an opportunity!
Phew... Klein exhaled and headed above the gray fog. He divined if his life would be in danger soon.
This time, he received a negative answer—his life wouldn't be in danger.
However, Klein didn't relax as a result. He recalled that the Mother Tree of Desire's divination interference could penetrate the gray fog's shielding to a certain extent.
And very long ago, his spirituality had prevented him from divining the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic above the gray fog. This was because it might very well involve the Chained God, and the Chained God was suspected to be another manifestation of the Mother Tree of Desire.
Either there's really nothing going on and that I'm overthinking matters, or the danger is already very close. That's why the Mother Tree of Desire took action to interfere... To be safe, I need to make preparations. Even if it's proven to be a false alarm, it's still better than being captured by the Rose School of Thought and taken away by the Mother Tree of Desire to perform some unspeakable matters! Klein immediately returned to the real world and took out a pen and paper before quickly writing a letter. He started with, "Dear Mr. Azik."
Considering how the Underworld was inside the spirit world, that the demigods of the Death pathway were considered high-ranking spirit world creatures in a certain way, and that Mr. Azik might be able to see his unique trait after he recovered his memory, Klein was rather honest. He directly wrote about the entire conversation between Orange Light Hilarion's manifestation, Helmosuin the scientist. The only thing he left out was about the gray fog and the parts about the great existence above the gray fog.
Finally, he mentioned something.
"Does Mr. Hilarion's warning imply that I'll suffer mortal danger from the Rose School of Thought?"
After he folded the letter and blew the copper whistle to summon the messenger, Klein still didn't find it safe enough. He hurriedly took out the adventurer's harmonica and blew into it.
Silently, Reinette Tinekerr appeared before him. Each of the four heads with blonde hair and red eyes rotated and said, "There's no..." "Letter..."
"I have something to discuss with you." Klein forced a big smile. He handed over the gold coin he received from Anderson and said, "This is the fee for the summoning."
One of the heads Reinette Tinekerr held bit onto the gold coin. The two other heads that didn't get the chance to speak asked, "What is..." It..."
"I might face a certain degree of danger soon. I wonder if it's possible to summon you for help." Klein tried his best to make his eyes look sincere.
The eight eyes on Reinette Tinekerr's four head darted around as they said, "Yes..." "Pay..." "Ten Thousand..." "Gold coins..."
... Ten thousand gold coins. That's 10,000 pounds! Klein turned agape as he said with a wry smile, "I don't have that much money."
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads spoke one after another.
"You..." "Can..." "Pay by..." "Installments..."
Installments... Klein was surprised that his messenger kept with the times. After two seconds of shock, he said, "Alright."
Reinette Tinekerr didn't say anything else as her four heads nodded simultaneously before disappearing in front of Klein and returning to the spirit world.
