Backlund, East Borough.
Fors, who had just returned from the land of ice and snow, was wrapped in thick layers of clothing. She looked at the burning charcoal stove in front of her as if she had fallen into a terrible environment again. She couldn't help but shiver a few times.
"George III is already dead. The things that happened before will definitely come to an end. Perhaps we can move out of this place and head to North Borough or Hillston Borough.
"The houses there have fireplaces!"
Xio sat on a chair opposite her and similarly stared at the warm furnace. She replied with a slightly confused expression, "Let's wait another week or two.
"To be honest, I still can't believe that George III was killed so easily... I didn't have time to do anything."
This bounty hunter, who had become a Judge, sounded disappointed, confused, and puzzled. It felt as though she had lost her motivation in life.
Fors temporarily forgot about the damage caused by the cold as she consoled her, "I don't think that this was done by Gehrman Sparrow. It was done by those people who used Shermane. They were the only ones investigating the secret motives of George III. Your actions have contributed to his death to a certain degree. It's as if you had exacted your revenge in an indirect manner.
"Eh... There shouldn't be any more surveillance or suppressive measures placed against your family. You can try to start a new life. If you have the chance, you might be able to use proper channels to make an appeal for your father."
Upon hearing the last few sentences, Xio raised her head.
"Yes, the situation is getting more and more chaotic now. I'm worried that they'll be affected by the war.
"Fors, do you think it's safer to be in Backlund, or in an ordinary city that isn't near the borders?"
Fors thought for a few seconds and shook her head calmly.
"I don't know."
She added, "I plan to ask Mr. World. He must have a better grasp of the overall situation. Do you still remember? He warned us beforehand that something would happen around George III, and to avoid approaching him."
In addition, Fors also wanted to ask where the next stop of her "travels" would be so that she could make preparations early.
"Yes!" Xio nodded instinctively.
Fors flipped through the newspapers she supported with her knees, and she drank the coffee she had left. Then, she slowly got up and entered the room inside. She prayed to Mr. Fool in a low voice, asking "Him" to pass her questions to The World Gehrman Sparrow.
...
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, near the Giant King's Court.
Without being "Parasitized" at a deeper level, Klein followed Amon to the foot of the mountain. In the frozen dusk, they circled to the front of the mythical land.
Although Amon had given him a chance to escape, he wasn't in a hurry to do so. This was because he knew very well that Amon had the strength and level of at least a Sequence 2. "He" was an angel in the truest sense of the word, an entity he couldn't fight head-on. Besides, a Marauder was known as an "Error," a loophole, a bug. Its powers were very strange, making it impossible to guard against. Klein believed that whatever normal means he could come up with to save himself would be ineffective.
I can only stay patient and wait for an opportunity that can be used... During this process, I have to keep making attempts to observe Amon's response... Yes, I still have to take note of a problem: I can't believe anything Amon says. "He" has already retrieved the Worm of Time and removed my parasitized state. At least, in terms of my condition, "He" isn't lying, but this might not be the whole truth. I can't rule out the possibility that "He" has left a Worm of Time lurking in my body. "He" might take control of my body at a critical moment... As these thoughts surfaced in Klein's mind, he "chatted" with Amon, asking about Dark Angel Sasrir. However, he saw that nearby, in the distance, the dusk was fading away as darkness blanketed the area. Lightning bolts that snarled from time to time lit up half the sky.
They had arrived at the boundary of the Giant King's Court and were about to leave the mythical kingdom.
Once I'm in the darkness, I'll either evaporate into thin air or encounter a sudden terrifying monster attack... With a thought, Klein pretended not to know anything as he continued proceeding forward. He went from the orange dusk and into the deep darkness.
At this moment, Amon, in his black classic robe and pointed hat, accompanied with a monocle, reached out "His" hand and pulled back a lantern covered in thin animal hide.
Inside the lantern, a candle made of some unknown oil emitted a faint yellow light and a slightly pungent smell.
"Carry it." Amon threw the lantern at Klein.
"..." Klein caught the lantern and fell silent.
A few seconds later, he probed, "Where did you get this from?"
At that moment, Klein imagined that Amon had summoned a projection from the Historical Void.
Amon pinched the crystal monocle and said with a smile, "I stole it from the human camp up ahead. Oh, that's the City of Silver's Afternoon Town camp."
It was stolen... Klein's eyelids twitched. He didn't ask further as he carried the lantern into the endless darkness.
The dim yellow light was like an invisible defensive barrier as it quickly spread out, creating a warm zone in the dark night.
At this moment, the lightning in the sky kept flashing. The gap between them was rather long, and there was almost no thunder. It occasionally boomed.
According to the general knowledge he had learned from Little Sun, this was nighttime in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. It was the most dangerous period.
As he proceeded forward, he first used the Faceless powers which had undergone a qualitative change. Together with Creeping Hunger, he adjusted his eye structure to adapt to this special environment. Following that, he used his spiritual perception to survey his surroundings.
He felt that, in the darkness, there were many eyes staring at him, with creatures of indescribable shapes hidden. However, every time the lightning lit up and shone brightly, there was nothing.
He wasn't worried at all about the serious backlash from using Creeping Hunger while not feeding it. From his point of view, there were only two outcomes. One was that Creeping Hunger attempted to devour him, but had its thoughts stolen away by Amon. The second was that Creeping Hunger successfully devoured him, the wearer, allowing him to be resurrected; thus, escaping from his current predicament. The latter was something he was looking forward to, while the former didn't offer any losses, other than leaving Creeping Hunger somewhat perplexed.
After proceeding forward for a while, he saw the City of Silver's Afternoon Town camp that was built using an abandoned building.
Beyond those boulders and walls that were formed by stone pillars, the bonfire quietly burned and illuminated most of the areas inside, making them completely different from the outside world.
The members of the City of Silver's exploration team were either patrolling or watching the area under the light's illumination to prevent any accidents.
One of them was a Dawn Paladin who was nearly 2.3 meters tall. He was standing at the top of a stronghold and looking into the distance, wary of the monsters hidden in the darkness.
Suddenly, he saw a faint yellow flame coming from afar in the darkness.
This... This Dawn Paladin's pupils dilated as his heart raced.
Apart from newborns and children who had yet to receive education, everyone in the City of Silver knew that this land had been forsaken by God. No one else would use fire in the darkness to create light. Even monsters who were good at controlling flames would be hidden in a dark environment before they attacked. As for the other humans, all the cities that the City of Silver had discovered to date had already been destroyed and turned to ruins. There were no survivors. The only outsider they had seen to date was the strange little boy, Jack.
And at that moment, a flame appeared in the depths of the darkness, one that was constantly moving!
What does this mean? The Dawn Paladin who was standing in the stronghold couldn't think of anything at that moment. He could only feel his body trembling slightly.
The dim yellow light slowly approached from afar. It passed by the campsite and headed beyond Afternoon Town. Vaguely, the Dawn Knight saw two silhouettes that belonged to humans. They walked deep into the darkness, and their silhouettes were strangely illuminated by the light.
Holding what looked like a lantern, they slowly left the camp and disappeared into the endless darkness.
At some point in time, the Dawn Paladin was already holding his breath until the faint yellow light was completely gone.
There are other humans? No, they can't be humans! The Dawn Paladin's eyes narrowed as he carefully turned around to inform the Elder of the six-member council presiding over this camp.
At this moment, he discovered that one of the lanterns hanging on a stone pillar was missing.
This Dawn Paladin's body stiffened as cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
...
As he walked away from Afternoon Town, Klein endured the stares of numerous pairs of eyes in the depths of the darkness. He secretly made use of the powers of a Scholar of Yore, as well as his connection with Sefirah Castle, to sense the grayish-white fog that was interwoven through history.
He had succeeded.
This proved that the Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn't isolated from Sefirah Castle.
The holy residence of the True Creator, or even the divine kingdom, is located in this piece of land... If I were to trigger Sefirah Castle and create an anomaly, would it cause "Him" to cast "His" gaze over and clash with Amon... "He" is a true god. I don't have extravagant hopes in escaping in the chaos, but I can seize the opportunity to commit suicide when "He" is dealing with Amon... With a thought, Klein wanted to make Sefirah Castle quake slightly.
In the next second, this thought disappeared.
The corners of Amon's mouth curled up slightly as he walked beside him.
"The Hanged Man has no interest in Sefirah Castle. Of course, ‘His' rationality might not be constant."
Klein didn't have extravagant hopes that his impulsive thought could truly succeed. He mainly wanted to test Amon's reaction and see what "His" response was. At that moment, he didn't feel depressed, nor did he hide his curiosity in asking a question, "The Hanged Man is referring to the Sequence 0 of the Shepherd pathway?"
Amon nodded slightly and said, "That's right. This symbolizes degeneration. Of course, if you want to explain it in a positive light, that is sacrifice and responsibility."
Klein thought for a moment before probing, "I thought this was a nickname you came up with."
Just like Medici.
Based on what he knew, the True Creator was born because of Rose Redemption. It was very likely related to the death of the ancient sun god. Therefore, he wanted to know what kind of attitude Amon had towards this evil god, and whether it was the same as "His" brother.
Amon nudged his monocle and chuckled.
"I've always respected the gods."
To have a Blasphemer say this sounds really contradictory... Helpless, Klein put a stop to the topic.
