The long sigh that sounded from deep within the cathedral had left the back muscles of Klein and Alger tense as they were pumped with adrenaline.
Without any hesitation, Klein's left glove turned transparent as he vanished, appearing beside The Hanged Man.
As he reached out to grab his shoulder, Senor also picked up the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic and, with the help of mirror leap, returned back to the gold coin inside the iron cigar case.
Right on the heels of that, Klein's and Alger's bodies turned incorporeal and invisible, leaving the catacombs silent again.
The two of them were directly teleported into midair a distance away. Their figures came into existence amidst the shadows of the clouds and the crimson moonlight.
Subconsciously, Klein and Alger turned their heads in unison to look at the primitive island, wishing to know if any changes would happen to it.
When they heard that sigh, they had relied on their instincts and experience to immediately escape despite not sensing any actual danger. Now, they couldn't help but feel curious and puzzled.
In their vision, the thick mist that cloaked the primitive island had quickly dispersed. The moonlight shone straight down without anything obstructing it.
Amidst howling winds, Klein and Alger floated in midair as they saw the primitive island's present state through the sparse mist.
It had vanished.
This primitive island that had a demigod feathered serpent and all kinds of Beyonder creatures had vanished!
The region it was in had dark-blue seawater which was almost black was ebbing slightly. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary!
Alger couldn't help but reach his hand into his pocket where he touched the six-winged gargoyle's core crystal that had left his mind sluggish.
If not for his battle spoils still being in existence, he would've suspected if it was all a dream. He wondered if he and Gehrman Sparrow had somewhat gotten lost, that they hadn't found the real primitive island, and ended up completing the exploration in their dreams.
Klein had similar thoughts as well. He even felt as though he was hallucinating. After all, a giant island with so many powerful creatures that hid secrets from mythical times couldn't just vanish without a word. Even the seawater didn't show any corresponding signs of its existence.
Thankfully, I didn't hesitate at all and chose to immediately escape. Otherwise, Mr. Hanged Man and I might really vanish, never to be found again... Klein suddenly felt a deep sense of joy. He didn't dare stay any longer as he activated Traveling once again and vanished with Alger as they traversed the spirit world.
And the final scene of this body of water that froze in their eyes was of mist spreading once again with increasing density.
After another Teleportation, Klein and Alger returned to the deserted island. They stood on a reef and watched the waves strike the shore loudly.
Alger looked around and heaved a silent sigh of relief. He took out the core crystal of the six-winged gargoyle and said, "This is a shared spoil of war. You get to choose first."
After weighing the matter, he considered the six-winged gargoyle to be a monster that the duo had killed together. As for the three deceased bodies, they were solely Gehrman Sparrow's.
Klein didn't directly respond. He made Senor float beside him as he took out the Tyrant card, the brown soil Beyonder characteristic, and the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic. The latter was suspected to be that of an Ocean Songster's.
After doing all of this, he said, "One battle. I'll choose first. Thrice."
He meant that in the battle the duo faced, they had fought three deceased bodies and a six-winged gargoyle. He had contributed greatly in the entire battle, so the spoils of war received in the tomb belonged to the pool.
Of course, based on the contributions, Gehrman Sparrow had the right to choose first and choose three consecutive times.
Alger was taken aback as he gained a new understanding of the crazy adventurer. He then nodded.
"Okay."
Klein immediately reached his hand towards his marionette and calmly took the Tyrant card with Roselle's face on it.
"This counts as twice."
With the Card of Blasphemy, along with the Sea God Scepter, he could barely be considered a fake demigod when taking action in his Spirit Body state.
This was also very useful when acting as Sea God.
Of course, the greatest value the Tyrant card provided was the High-Sequence potion formulas of the Storm pathway, as well as the subtle ability to sense the ingredients needed after reaching Sequence 4.
And it was precisely because of this that Klein didn't wait till they returned to the City of Generosity, Bayam, to split the spoils of war. He was afraid that the Tyrant card would directly attract Sea King Jahn Kottman.
It's up to you to say how many times it counts... Alger didn't retort, nor did he plan on objecting to Gehrman Sparrow's claim. He watched as Gehrman reached for the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic which likely corresponded to Ocean Songster.
To Klein, it could be used to create a mystical item in the Storm domain; thus, replacing the Murloc Cufflink that had been taken away by Admiral Hell. It could also be bestowed to the Rorsted Archipelago's Resistance in the future to raise their survivability at sea. Of course, the condition was that they had greatly pleased Sea God.
Putting away the Tyrant card and the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic, Klein glanced at The Hanged Man, indicating that it was his turn to choose.
Alger deliberated and said, "Can I choose the Sequence 4 potion formula from that Card of Blasphemy?"
"No problem." Klein nodded without much of an expression. "I'll give it to you in the future."
Although the Tyrant card had been activated, using it was bound to cause quite a stir. Therefore, to be safe, Klein planned on heading above the gray fog to study it after he returned to Backlund.
"Alright." Even with Alger's stateliness, he couldn't help but smile.
After this adventure, once his digestion of the Ocean Songster was almost done, he could showcase his strength and take the path of being advanced by the Church. When the time came, drinking an additional potion wasn't a big problem. Even if he didn't give birth to a child, just time alone could allow him to resolve the matter completely. The key obstacle was that going from Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 was a qualitative transformation. It was a sublimation of life's natural order. Countless Ocean Songsters in the Church of Storms had worked hard for decades, but they had failed to obtain an opportunity. Alger didn't believe that he, as a mixed-blood, one who had promoted himself from a servant, would receive any special treatment. He felt that not being ostracized was already something to be happy about, a result of his ability to build social ties.
Furthermore, in the Church, the potion was directly given for the advancement to Sequence 4. There was no advanced understanding of the formula or its preparation. For Alger to gain an advantage in this intense competition, he had to have other ideas apart from being ranked within the top three in terms of contributions.
His present line of thought was to kill a famous pirate. From him, he could "obtain" the Cataclysmic Interrer's potion formula. Then, he could let the clues point towards the mutated deceased body in the primitive island. It was likely a powerful pirate who had once been active at sea before suddenly vanishing.
This way, the upper echelons of the Church of Storms would definitely suspect that this powerful missing pirate had obtained the Card of Blasphemy, and this undeniable reality could be verified via many different means.
Alger could use the advantage of already knowing the Cataclysmic Interrer's potion formula to obtain a chance to become a Sequence 4.
Of course, that's working on the premise that the Church doesn't have a Sealed Artifact that can directly wipe out any corresponding memories... If this method doesn't work, and there's no real way to advance, I can only secretly gather the corresponding ingredients and prepare the required ritual for advancement. Once I become a Sequence 4, I'll immediately leave the Church and become a Pirate King... Alger reined in his thoughts and watched as Gehrman Sparrow took away the brown soil-like Beyonder characteristic.
Glancing at the remaining items, he put away the grayish-white translucent crystal and handed the six-winged gargoyle's eyeball to Gehrman Sparrow.
With him not lacking any powerful offensive means, and him being well-rounded when it came to the sea and land, it was rather useful for him if the Beyonder ingredient could be made into a mystical item.
Back in the tomb, if it wasn't because he was uncertain if Psychic Piercing could affect the gargoyle, and the battle situation didn't allow for any mistakes, he would've chosen to first use the Whip of Mind.
After splitting the spoils of war, putting them in different boxes, and sealing them with walls of spirituality, Klein stored away Senor. Reaching out his hand to grab The Hanged Man, their figures turned faint as they entered the spirit world.
After the Traveling was completed, the two appeared on a mountain beside the sea in the Bayam city outskirts. It was still close to the cemetery, and it was as though they had never left.
Alger didn't harp on the topic as he nodded at Gehrman Sparrow.
"If you need any mystical items created, I shall bear the corresponding costs.
"It's a pleasure working with you."
Wearing the transparent glove, Klein tersely answered before vanishing.
He left The Hanged Man behind, and he directly teleported himself to a secluded corner in Bayam City.
Next, I need to select a lucky pirate... Klein surveyed his area as he muttered silently and stretched his fingers before walking out into the street.
Of course, he didn't forget to change his appearance. He also smeared blood over Leymano's Travels. After all, there were bounty notices everywhere for Gehrman Sparrow, and Sea King Jahn Kottman remained in this city. If he were recognized or got lost, things would be nasty.
...
On the mountainside outside the city, Alger looked up at the dark night where there were the crimson moon and the countless stars. He slowly inhaled and exhaled, allowing the refreshing and saltiness of the seaside to cleanse his body.
The exploration he had just completed was the most dangerous adventure he had ever had. If not for the Teleportation from Gehrman Sparrow's Creeping Hunger, he doubted that they could escape alive.
However, as Mr. Fool's Blessed, The World should have other trump cards. For example, those demigod-level Beyonder powers in Leymano's Travels...
But in that case, we might not have successfully reached the tomb, with us encountering more trouble along the way...
Yes, that Card of Blasphemy of the Storm pathway is the target that made him restrain his madness... Was this was an instruction from Mr. Fool? "He" had already foreseen it! Perhaps, "He" even knows the existence that produced that sigh from deep within the cathedral!
Back then Qilangos might've seen the Tyrant card but had lacked the ability to obtain it. That must be why he said that... Alger's mind churned as he slowly walked to the foot of the mountain.
