As the crimson moonlight dimmed, a thought surfaced in Klein's mind:
The crimson moon is about to be covered by fog again!
Just as this thought appeared, the indistinct, loitering figures outside vanished as though they had evaporated into thin air. The beast-like growls also came to a halt.
The environment has been restored to its previous state... Demoness of Despair Panatiya can move about freely again... Mr. A will no longer have any qualms about the danger outside. He can unleash a barrage of attacks to capture his prey... Klein instantly came to a conclusion as he raised his right index finger and snapped, igniting the leaves of a tree tens of meters away.
He wanted to open up a gap with Mr. A to prevent himself from getting sicker. At the same time, he wanted to determine if he should take the risk of entering the ancient cathedral.
With respect to his present situation, Klein already had a plan in mind. It was to use Mr. A's potent and multifarious abilities to draw Panatiya's attention. After all, to her, a Shepherd and a Marionettist weren't any different when it came to meat quality. They could both fill her stomach, so her priority was definitely on who was easier to deal with.
When the time comes, both parties would definitely engage in a battle, and Klein needed to find an opportunity to strike down Panatiya!
Just as the scarlet flame soared and engulfed Klein, he saw Mr. A turn into a shadow and meld into the surroundings once again. It was unknown where he hid himself.
He ran... ran... Aren't you the crazy Mr. A? Shouldn't you continue pursuing your prey? Why did you run... Klein's gaze froze as he couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth.
His figure vanished amidst the flames before appearing in flames tens of meters away.
Just as Klein leaped out of the fire, he felt his forehead burning once again. His lungs felt heavy as his breathing became rapid and difficult.
Plague!
Demoness of Despair Panatiya had spread her plague once again!
To Klein, this beautiful lady in a pure white robe had already floated somewhere in midair at some point in time, walking towards him.
Beneath her feet were countless transparent and thin lines that formed a spider's web. They were connected to the surrounding buildings and trees, fully covering half the street.
In the eyes of this demigod-level Demoness, the intense hunger pangs were gone. The obvious bloodshot look in her eyes wasn't there, and the way she looked at Gehrman Sparrow was one of insanity and teasing. It was as though she wanted to drain his ability to resist, bit by bit, making him feel the deepest, most heavy, and most painful despair.
Klein held back his urge to cough as he snapped his fingers again, causing the tree beside the cathedral to burst into flames.
His figure was immediately engulfed by the fire as he rapidly faded away and appeared above the tree. He had appeared amidst the gorgeous flames.
Right on the heels of that, Klein hurriedly jumped to the ground, somersaulting to the side of the ancient cathedral.
At this moment, his body suddenly turned cold as he found that his feet, thighs, and waist were covered in thick layers of ice. And surrounding him was an accumulation of frost as the temperature declined rapidly.
Klein clenched his teeth, holding back the horror within him. He followed his plan, and he reached out his arms in an abnormally rigid fashion, pressing it straight onto the wall.
The Creeping Hunger on his left hand turned transparent.
In silence, Klein passed through the thick, pitch-black wall and entered the spired cathedral.
The spot where he was standing had a black fireball smash into the wall, just a little too slow. It splashed out like water, burning away the nearby frost and weeds.
At this moment, at the top of the ancient cathedral's spire, swirling ravens opened their beaks.
"Waaa!"
"Waaa!"
"Waaa!"
Panatiya halted as she looked at the dark cathedral. Bit by bit, her face was dyed with a look of fear.
...
Inside the cathedral, Klein found himself unable to see anything, as it was darker than the outside. As the frost melted, and with him getting accustomed to the dim lights, he finally saw the scene before him.
As far as he could see, there were figures being hung up in midair.
They were all humans!
Some of them were dressed in black classical robes, others in brown jackets. Some were wearing very fluffy skirts, while others had tattered clothes, making them resemble beggars.
Some of them had boorish looks, others handsome with cut facial features. Some of them were beautiful, others tender, adorable, and looking youthful. None of them looked the same.
No, there was something that they had in common. They were like meat that was undergoing a curing process. They hung from above, swaying gently as their heads were bowed and their eyes rolled back.
Klein felt his scalp tingle as he no longer doubted that this place was extremely dangerous as described by Panatiya and Mr. A.
He held his back to the wall, planning on using Door Opening to leave to avoid danger the moment anything happened. He would then pass through the wall if he was discovered by the Demoness of Despair to avoid her attacks. By repeatedly doing so, he could ensure his safety.
Whoosh!
A cold air blew through the cathedral as the figures and corpses turned around, facing Klein.
Their collars were like ropes that left their heads drooping.
Klein nearly drew a gasp as he pressed his left palm onto the wall.
At this moment, the figures began to sway like wind chimes. They opened their eyes and produced raving-like voices:
"Hornacis... Flegrea...
"Hornacis... Flegrea...
"Hornacis... Flegrea..."
The voices resounded into one, drilling into Klein's ears as he found it abnormally familiar!
This was the raving that he had heard during his advancements in the past!
It actually originated from here, from the foggy town. It came from the corpses that hung high in this ancient cathedral!
At that instant, not only was Klein's scalp tingling, he even felt his body trembling.
Could it be that this foggy town actually originates from the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range... That Nation of the Evernight which vanished? Don't tell me that I really am on the mountain? However, why would it be inside this cathedral? These same ravings don't bring about a headache or push me towards losing control... Klein hissed as he spread his hands and clenched it again repeatedly, resisting the urge to pass through the wall.
Since he was already inside and had seen the source of the ravings, he believed that escaping probably didn't resolve any problems.
Regardless, it's necessary to do a simple search. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know the reason when something abnormal happens to me!
After using a gold coin to quickly do a divination, Klein tapped his molars gently and activated his Spirit Vision. He looked up at the hanging figures and found their spirituality converged. The aura colors looked normal, but they exuded a stiff appearance.
There are aura colors... They aren't dead yet? Klein frowned slightly and deactivated his Spirit Vision.
Right on the heels of that, he tapped his left thumb on the first segment of his index finger, planning to observe the Spirit Body Threads.
Upon sweeping his gaze across, Klein's pupils dilated because the Spirit Body Threads of the swaying figures looked extremely special.
The illusory black threads that corresponded to their bodies were extended in the same direction—the peak of the ancient cathedral. There wasn't a single exception!
In Klein's vision, they were like corpses being hung up by their Spirit Body Threads!
Before Klein could figure out what all of this meant, he caught a scene from the corner of his eye.
His Spirit Body Threads were automatically reaching upwards to the peak of the cathedral, to the source that hung up those figures!
This was the first time Klein saw Spirit Body Threads moving autonomously!
It was as though they were metals that had come into contact with magnets. They floated upwards uncontrollably, and the fastest thread had already reached its destination!
Klein didn't dare imagine the outcome if all his Spirit Body Threads gathered up above. He suspected that he too would become a piece of "cured meat" that would be hung up to be dehydrated, producing the ravings of "Hornacis... Flegrea" along with the wind.
For most Beyonders, they could only consider leaving the cathedral in a bid to sever the process of having their Spirit Body Threads attracted, but Klein was different—he was a Marionettist. Quickly, he controlled his Spirit Body Threads and pulled them thread by thread.
After nearly thirty seconds, Klein finally completed this task. However, his Spirit Body Threads continued floating upwards. He had to constantly pay attention and resist this upward drift.
This is one of the dangers lurking inside the cathedral? Klein slowly drew a breath as he no longer leaned close to the walls. Step by step, he ventured deep into the cathedral.
Above him, the figures swayed as though they were watching him.
After proceeding nearly thirty meters, Klein finally saw something different. It was the pitch-black altar of the cathedral.
On the altar was a stone statue.
Klein identified the statue when he took a few more steps.
It was in the shape of a female human. However, her hips and ribs had two beast legs growing out from each one of them. These limbs were covered in short, thick, and firm black fur.
In addition, the statue was surrounded with black bands that seemed to reach out like tentacles.
At the statue's feet, there were souls sleeping as though they were holding her up on a pedestal.
Klein shifted his gaze and looked at the statue's head and saw a beautiful face.
This... Klein's gaze froze.
That face wasn't unfamiliar to him, because he had been "sent" in here by that entity!
This stone statue's appearance was identical to the "Eraser" angel under Saint Samuel Cathedral!
"She" is actually related to this place... That's right. The people "She" erased are sent here, so it would be odd if she's not connected to this place... What's the connection between "Her" and the Fourth Epoch's Nation of the Evernight on the Hornacis mountain range? That Mother of the Sky? But if that's the case, why would "She" be working for the Church? Furthermore, such an image does have its resemblance to the demonic wolf that Little Sun mentioned... Many thoughts instantly surfaced in Klein's mind.
During this process, he slowly shifted his gaze away in another direction, in the hopes of finding any possible clues.
A few seconds later, Klein discovered a figure. It wasn't hung in midair but was seated diagonally behind the statue.
