Klein didn't bring Azik's copper whistle directly above the gray fog this time, but he did plan on doing it the same way he did back when he first divined the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem. He completed it by using an object's projection. Although this would decrease the accuracy to a certain extent, causing the divination to fail at obtaining any effective revelation, it guaranteed that the item was undamaged thanks to the gray fog being an intermediary layer.
He still recalled the time back when he divined the origins of the black ear that came from the Listener. This Sealed Artifact had suffered retaliation from the True Creator, causing it to crumble and reform into a charm.
Therefore, with the suspicion that the divination result could point to Death's corpse or other remains, a godhood power of a Sequence 0 that had long perished but was still capable of changing the Berserk Sea's environment, Klein decided to leave Azik's copper whistle in the real world and divine using a projection. This was to avoid the possibility of damaging such an important item. After all, Death and the True Creator were at the same level!
As for why Klein dared to directly use Groselle's Travels to divine its origins, it was because the ancient god, Dragon of Imagination, had long since perished. Its corresponding characteristic had likely been inherited by someone else and changed hands several times. Furthermore, the book itself was extremely strong. Even a blast of the Sea God Scepter at full strength could hardly damage it. By the same logic, Mr. Door was likely only a King of Angels and was in an exiled and quarantined state. He could only barely send out his ravings, making it impossible for him to deal any actual damage.
With the help of the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog, I can quickly recover from the damage and corruption without any lasting repercussions. If Azik's copper whistle were to be destroyed, it would truly be gone. I wouldn't be able to contact Mr. Azik again and use it to attract the undead. I won't even be able to carry it around with me... Klein very calmly and skillfully held the copper whistle's projection and the paper with the divination statement in hand before leaning back into his chair. Half-closing his eyes, he chanted softly in a state of Cogitation, "The reason for this copper whistle's abnormality today."
After chanting it seven times, Klein fell into a deep sleep and entered the dream world.
After an unknown period of time, he saw a dark and gloomy mausoleum. He saw a dark-colored staircase that extended downwards and coffins placed around it.
The coffins were all open with dead bodies in them. On their backs grew white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil.
Even in the dream, Klein found the scene abnormally familiar, as though he had once seen it before.
At that moment, he seemed to smell the putrid smell of rot and hear the slow breathing of some object. He felt that the darkness in the mausoleum was thickening, giving him an acute feeling of deathly silence.
Suddenly, ravings that were both loud and soft sounded at the same time. The corpses in the coffins with white feathers on their backs floated up together, and using their half-rotten and half-pale faces, they looked out of the dream!
With his heart skipping a beat, Klein lost control of his heart, as though it was grabbed by invisible hands and was ripped straight out of his chest.
During this process, his dream collapsed into fragments as it returned to nothingness.
And the final scene Klein saw was that, not only were the corpses growing white feathers on their backs and other parts of their body, there were thin illusory black tubes that stabbed into their bodies. They extended deep into the mausoleum where an endless cold, sinister, black fog emanated.
The black fog slowly contracted and expanded, producing panting sounds. When the commotion from this scene landed in Klein's eyes and ears, the color in his skin rapidly drained. It left his skin rotting and overflowing with pus. It made his pores produce thin and dense white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil. It made the projection of Azik's copper whistle in his hand shatter into a blob of black fog.
The long mottled table in the ancient palace rotted and collapsed as the twenty-two high-back chairs were enveloped by white feathers as though they had a life of their own.
Seeing the endless gray fog silently churn, the mysterious space above this gently stirred, quickly restoring everything to normal. It was as though nothing had happened.
Klein, who had collapsed to the side of the chair, reached out his hand and grabbed the table leg and slowly stood up. Sitting back in his chair, he exhaled slowly.
He rubbed his temples and subconsciously did a comparison.
Weaker than the True Creator and Eternal Blazing Sun, but stronger than Mr. Door. However, I'm not sure if it's because the latter was exiled and quarantined which minimized the amount of power transmitted over.
Why am I thinking about these comparisons? It's not like I'm their match. It will still be the same even if I become a demigod...
Unfortunately, I didn't directly see the object hidden in the black fog; otherwise, I might be able to obtain some potion formulas or mysticism knowledge.
Klein felt a baffling sense of regret as he cast his gaze to the side of his chair. He saw an illusory black fog floating there.
It was the remnants after the shattering of the projection of Azik's copper whistle.
There's no sensation of strength, which means it can't be used as a charm. What is its use?
Klein thought of something else as he summoned a backup Paper Angel from his junk pile and cast it onto the illusory black fog.
The moment the two made contact, they immediately fused together. The paper figurine quickly turned black and appeared serene and quiet. On its back grew white feathers that were stained with pale yellow oil.
Such a change was only maintained for a second. The paper figurine returned to its original state, but it didn't seem corporeal, as though it was half-illusory.
Apart from that, there were feather-like patterns that covered the paper figurine's back.
What can this be used for? Klein made the mutated paper figurine land back in his palm.
He didn't dare to use divination to determine its effects, afraid to see the scene from his dream before, allowing the now prepared object from deep inside the black fog to invade where he was.
After repeated checks, Klein used his knowledge in mysticism to determine something.
This doesn't contain any powers itself, but it's substantially unique. Perhaps it can create special effects that are related to the undead domain when used as a Paper Figurine Substitute or Paper Angel.
It's like my adventurer's harmonica. Although it doesn't contain any strength, it can summon a messenger with great strength...
Klein immediately put away the mutated paper figurine and began interpreting the scene from his dream.
Black mausoleum, open coffins, corpses with feathers on their back, black fog emanating deep inside. These revelations seem to point towards Death or something important that Death left behind... Or perhaps it's a certain product of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death?
Right, why did I find what I saw familiar?
Klein carefully recalled and quickly found an answer.
He had seen a similar scene in a particular divination a long time ago!
That time, the contents of his divination was the result of hiding matters related to Mr. Azik from the Nighthawks!
Back then, he had seen two scenes in his dream. One was of himself falling into a sea of blood and being pulled out by Azik. The other was them finding themselves in a dark and gloomy mausoleum, looking as though they were searching for something!
Klein had once tried interpreting it, believing that the first scene represented him in danger and being rescued by Mr. Azik. The second scene represented them exploring a mausoleum or somewhere that symbolized a mausoleum together.
The former had been verified during the meteor that came falling from the skies in Backlund. The latter finally revealed clues today!
Could it be that the place that Mr. Azik and I will be exploring is the mausoleum that I just "saw"? But, this mausoleum is very dangerous. The object in the deepest part of the black fog has a very high level. It's only slightly weaker than true deities. Furthermore, it's filled with malevolence... Klein knitted his brows bit by bit, believing that their exploration together wasn't naturally a good thing.
This made him believe that it was necessary for him to stop Mr. Azik. However, he also suspected that the divination scene he saw couldn't be avoided. Otherwise, a worse outcome would happen in a dramatic way of having destiny unfold.
At least during my first divination, there was only the exploration scene and no appearance of danger... Perhaps there's a way to circumvent it... This might be why Seers are often so vague. At times, being too clear might backfire! Klein planned on vaguely mentioning his dream without providing any interpretation when he met Mr. Azik again and allowing him to share his views.
After making up his mind, Klein leaned back and looked at the dome of the magnificent palace before vanishing from above the gray fog.
...
Light—shattered light and the pure light of dawn—emitted from the Elder of the six-member council, the other Demon Hunter, Waite Chirmont's body. It dissolved the white feathers that grew out of the pores of his skin as he suppressed the subsequent squirming of his flesh and blood.
His arm muscles swelled as he pulled the bowstring of the Dragon Slaying Bow, allowing silver electric bolts and the dawn of light to mesh into a dazzling arrow.
The arrow flew out and instantly reached the altar which was piled with monster skulls. It hit the heavy, iron-black coffin.
Silently, the arrow's beam dimmed and vanished without leaving any effect.
No, the area around the altar was turning darker and more gloomy!
Inside the iron-black coffin, a sound that resembled bones rubbing against each other sounded:
"Why? Why are you disturbing my slumber?"
Upon hearing this, Waite's heart instantly became heavy. This was because there was no hint of hiding its malevolent intent, and that it also meant that the former Chief might've transformed into a monster.
The City of Silver's attempt at salvation had once again failed.
With a bang, the coffin's lid flew up and shattered into pieces. A large wave of black fog emanated out from beneath in an incessant manner.
Amidst this scene, Waite saw a figure slowly stand up from within the coffin. He was nearly four meters tall and his limbs were long. His body was covered in white feathers that were tainted with faint yellow oil. Behind his back were thin illusory black tubes that connected out into infinity.
Behind the three members of the six-member council, a huge wave stirred in the pitch-black river. All sorts of arms, tentacles, and veins surged over.
At this moment, Waite saw the Chief's body transform rapidly and saw his bulging muscles tears his clothes inch by inch.
