Although there was no concept of temperature in the Hall of Truth, Klein still felt a chill down his spine when he heard that. He felt a wave of heat, and he wanted to defend himself, but when he opened his mouth, he didn't know what to say.
For a few silent seconds, his figure was reflected in Adam's limpid eyes before he said with some difficulty, "I accept it...
"But I will try my best to minimize the damage caused by the war in the future, so long as I'm still alive."
He paused and asked in a deep voice, "Is this the price you exacted for the bestowment?
"Back when a certain ascetic here mentioned your true name, you had already noticed this book and secretly made arrangements?"
Adam, who was dressed in simple white robes, didn't respond. He walked towards the mural on his left and stopped in front of one of the murals. He looked up slightly and quietly admired it.
On the mural, a book consisting of goatskin flew up into the clouds and landed in a gigantic claw.
After watching for a while, Adam said with a warm voice, "You may leave."
He immediately felt that he had been rejected by the Hall of Truth, the sea of collective subconscious of the City of Miracles, and the book world. He involuntarily floated up and flew out of the area.
During this process, he saw Adam return to the front of the black pews. Holding the silver cross pendant, he closed his eyes and prayed sincerely to the huge and blurry figure.
Outside the sea of collective subconscious, an illusory door silently appeared. It stood in midair and was connected to the outside world.
The book world also began to ostracize him, "squeezing" him out of the huge door.
Suddenly, Klein returned to the real world and returned to the grayish-white fog. He was in the state he was in prior to entering the Historical Void.
Unlike before, he hadn't been locked down by the whirlpool formed by countless transparent maggots. As for the slippery tentacles that were almost invisible, they wrapped around Groselle's Travels slightly and disappeared into thin air.
Without having time to lament over the loss, Klein's thoughts raced, and he made a choice almost purely on instinct.
He leaped into the grayish-white fog in another direction and hid in a shattered spot of light. This was the so-called Historical Void.
Klein regretted it the next second because Zaratul's slippery and terrifying tentacles had extended out from the grayish-white fog. The countless translucent maggots were no longer formed a spinning whirlpool as they disintegrated into a tidal wave that surged towards him.
Zaratul could actually fight in the Historical Void!
This was the suppression effect that high-level members of the same pathway had against lower-level ones.
A demigod of the same Seer pathway was always the best choice for dealing with a Seer demigod of a lower Sequence.
Without any hesitation, he "ran" through the spots of light and into the depths of the fog of history, just like his advancement.
Scenes of the secret mausoleum collapsing, Backlund suffering an air raid, and the tragic Great Smog flew behind him. However, the dangerous premonition in his heart didn't weaken at all; instead, it intensified significantly.
He even "saw" a thick shadow getting closer and closer, covering himself.
This was a tidal wave formed by the transparent maggots and the slippery tentacles!
Klein ran as fast as he could, constantly chanting the honorific name of the Evernight Goddess in Jotun in his mind, hoping to be saved. This was the only thing he could do, and "She" was the only existence that could save him at the moment.
Of course, if he knew of Amon's honorific name, he would definitely attempt to provoke this Blasphemer.
Only by messing things up would he have a chance of surviving.
Roselle's declaration as emperor, the modification of the steam engine, the Battle of the Violated Oath, the White Rose War, and the Twenty Year War flashed past one by one. Klein realized that his body was being increasingly covered by shadows, and his consciousness was gradually slowing down. He had a feeling that he was having his Spirit Body Threads controlled.
At this moment, Hounds of Fulgrim ran out of the grayish-white fog's various spots of light.
They were covered in pitch-black short fur, their eye sockets burning with dark red flames as the corners of their lips extended to the back of their heads.
This group of monsters-like creatures, the Sefirah Castle Keepers, ran past Klein and rushed behind him.
He immediately regained his lucidity.
F*ck! he cursed himself, his eyes slightly red as he continued "running" with his vision blurred. He went from the Fifth Epoch to the Fourth Epoch, and from the Fourth Epoch to the Third Epoch.
The massive shadow that resembled the tidal wave behind him paused for a few seconds, then it continued surging towards him as if nothing had happened, drowning out the Historical Voids he passed through.
Klein didn't hold back in expending his spirituality. He used all his might to "run" with the light spots that he had lit in the fog of history. He ran from the Third Epoch to the Second Epoch until he arrived at a lonely fragment of light. Around him was a withered forest and a normal tomb.
This was the period of history where Giant King Aurmir buried his parents.
As for the "tidal wave" that was formed by Zaratul, it didn't seem to understand this history well enough. It stopped at some unknown era and didn't manage to catch up.
At that moment, Klein's spirituality was almost exhausted. And in the fog of history, he could only borrow power from the current Void. But clearly, there was no past projection of himself here.
And when his spirituality was exhausted, he would have no choice but to leave the fog of history and return to the real world. When that time came, he would be facing Zaratul again.
Phew... Klein exhaled and pulled out another paper crane. He snapped his fingers and lit it.
However, after waiting for a few seconds, he failed to see the Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin, appear.
In the Historical Void, there's no way to use ordinary paper cranes to contact Will... Why hasn't Amon appeared yet... As his thoughts flashed, he could only repeat in Jotun, "The Evernight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity. You are also the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, Mistress of Repose and Silence..."
After holding on for a few seconds, he suddenly had an idea. Hence, he didn't hesitate to leave the fog of history and return to the real world.
Just as his figure appeared, his "Spirit Body Threads" floated into the air and was grabbed by a slippery, transparent tentacle.
And opposite him, another figure appeared at the same time.
It was the barefoot, linen-robed ascetic leader, Arianna.
Based on Klein's abilities, the angel-level historical projection he had summoned must've disappeared. Therefore, the person who came was undoubtedly the actual body.
The Evernight cloister's matron glanced at Klein, and instantly, he vanished under Zaratul's tentacle.
Klein entered a concealed world belonging to Arianna. It was night time, and it was a monastery with many ancient buildings erected. There was a huge and holy crimson moon hanging high in the sky.
Using the experience gained from their past cooperation, Klein immediately used "Traveling" to appear in the crimson moon, leaving this concealed world in order to appear elsewhere.
After returning to reality, Klein had already distanced himself from Zaratul. Hence, he didn't hesitate to use "Traveling" to directly leave. And having held Zaratul back for a short period of time, Arianna entered a concealed state and left the battlefield.
Boom!
A terrifying thunderclap boomed as the transparent tentacle that attempted to reach out to where Klein had disappeared suddenly retreated, disappearing along with the actual body.
Having "Teleported" to the sea, Klein couldn't be bothered to borrow strength from his past self. He first summoned a paper figurine from the Historical Void and shook his wrist.
Most of the items he had with him had been destroyed when he became a "bookmark." It was unknown where he had lost his marionettes, Qonas and Enuni. Of course, they might've evaporated under the illumination of the Angel of Light.
Pa!
The paper figurine burned with scarlet flames as it leaped up into the form of an illusory angel that had layered wings on its back. It embraced him and removed any traces.
Then, he activated "Traveling" once again and left the area.
...
In the secret mausoleum in East Chester County, William Augustus I and Queen Mystic Bernadette managed to sense the death of George III, either through the changes in "order" or via their clairvoyant abilities.
The latter didn't stay any longer. Her body suddenly separated like a collection of soap bubbles that reflected light, scattering in all directions before bursting.
William Augustus I wasn't in the mood to stop or chase after her, but "He" didn't feel much pain.
...
After making a huge detour, Klein, who had used Angel's Embrace three times to remove his traces, finally returned to Backlund secretly. It was probably the safest place.
He didn't return to the apartment he had previously rented. Instead, he found a hotel in the Backlund Bridge area and got a room.
Of course, he didn't forget to change his appearance, height, and temperament.
The more ordinary and common his appearance was, the less attention he would garner.
After entering the room, Klein endured the mental fatigue and physical trauma he received, and he began to chant the honorific name of Sea God Kalvetua. He planned to take four steps counterclockwise and head above the gray fog. He wanted to use his "true vision" and the real Angel's Embrace to confirm his surroundings to eliminate any latent dangers.
Fortunately, Zaratul should've signed a contract with George III, so "He" can't leave the mausoleum "He" was guarding as "He" pleases. Otherwise, I would most likely have become "His" marionette in that chaotic battle... The appearance of "Him" and Abomination Suah exceeded my expectations... Klein heaved a sigh of relief and took one step in a counterclockwise manner. He opened his mouth and chanted in Mandarin, "The Exalted..."
Suddenly, Klein's body trembled. His voice came to a halt as he froze on the spot.
In his line of sight, a figure had appeared on a chair beside the full-body mirror in the room. He was a young man of medium build, wearing a dark-colored jacket and trousers. He looked like a mixed-blood man with Loen and Balam roots.
This was the marionette that Klein had lost—Winner Enuni.
Enuni smiled as he faced Klein's pair of eyes that could no longer move.
"Don't randomly leave your marionettes around. They can be tracked."
As he spoke, he slowly stood up. He casually took out a crystal monocle from his pocket and slowly wore it on his right eye.
(End of the Fifth Volume—Red Priest)
