Closfia smoothed her chestnut-brown hair and responded with a playful smile, "Why shouldn't I be here?"
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward Fors, who still looked somewhat dazed beside Ebner. With a teasing glint in her eyes, she pointed at the young woman—whose demeanor bore a faint resemblance to her own—and remarked, "If you keep flirting like this, the Countess waiting all alone at that hot spring villa in Feysac might get upset."
Countess? Wasn't that "Greed" lady hypnotized into... well, whatever by you? What does that have to do with me? Ebner inwardly grumbled but knew better than to engage in a battle of wits with a seasoned "Spectator" like her. Instead, he changed the subject. "Where's Ms. Helen?"
"Helen is distributing 'Holy Communion.' She'll be back soon." After answering briefly, Closfia's expression turned uncharacteristically serious. "That was just a joke. I'm actually here on a mission from the 'Mother Goddess.'"
She paused, then added with a smirk, "To put it simply, I've been sold to you..."
Ebner, long accustomed to her antics, didn't take the bait. Closfia loved playing the coquette and had a penchant for teasing. He simply stared at her, his expression clearly conveying: Cut the nonsense and get to the point.
"How boring..." Disappointed that she hadn't managed to fluster him, Closfia sighed before explaining properly: "The 'Classical Alchemist' Beyonder characteristic you offered to the 'Mother Goddess' wasn't free... By Her decree, I'm to protect you until you become a demigod. Only then will my task be complete."
She grinned. "During this time, I'll follow your arrangements."
So when the Mother Goddess took the "Classical Alchemist" characteristic as payment, it was to assign me a bodyguard?
But as one of Her devout followers, Closfia wouldn't need such incentives... Was this just to ensure her cooperation was more proactive?
Ebner didn't doubt her words. No matter how eccentric Closfia was, she wouldn't dare joke about the edicts of a true deity.
"I see... With the 'Classical Alchemist' characteristic, Judy will probably advance to demigod soon," Ebner mused aloud while stepping to the door and peeking into the prayer hall. The distribution of "Holy Communion" was only halfway done.
"She's still far from ready. Forget the ritual—she hasn't even fully digested her 'Druid' potion yet." For the first time, a trace of genuine maternal concern flickered across Closfia's face as she shook her head.
After exchanging a few more words with the "Sloth" lady, Ebner realized Helen wouldn't be free for a while. Rather than wait idly, he first teleported Fors back to the townhouse provided by the "Club," then took a moment to pray to "The Fool" and borrow the "Black Emperor Card" to prepare for his next safe entry into Groselle's Travels. Only then did he return to the rest area of the Wheat Seed Cathedral.
By now, Helen had finished her duties and was sipping tea with Closfia while waiting for him.
"You came looking for me specifically... Does this mean you've made progress on my request?" Helen's eyes gleamed as she guessed Ebner's purpose.
"Exactly. I've trapped her inside this book." Ebner produced Groselle's Travels and briefly explained its abilities.
Upon hearing that the book contained a world imagined by the "King of Dragons," Helen remained composed, but Closfia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Can I join the hunt for that 'Shaman King'?" she asked eagerly.
"Since Mr. Bryan didn't avoid discussing it in front of you, he must intend to bring you along," Helen remarked. Though she, too, was intrigued by the imaginary world, her primary concern was securing the "Shaman King" characteristic for her son.
"Just as Ms. Helen said, with your help, we can deal with that vampire much faster." Ebner gestured for the two ladies to take hold of him. "Time is of the essence—let's head to a location where we can safely enter the book."
He had just checked the story's progress and discovered that the "King of the North" was on the verge of being slain by Silviaand was currently fleeing for his life. If they didn't act soon, the "Shaman King" might complete the adventure and escape the book entirely!
Helen and Closfia had no objections. Each took hold of one of Ebner's arms, and in the next instant, all three vanished from the rest area.
.....
In the ancient palace above the gray fog, Klein couldn't help but chuckle to himself after listening to "The Tower's" report about the "Shaman King" and lending him the "Black Emperor Card."
"The Tower" has really found some... creative uses for that book.
Not only does he use it as a shield, but he can also trap enemies inside its imagined world by using their blood...
Now that's what I call an unorthodox strategy!
If it were me, I wouldn't dare treat such a high-value mystical item so casually...
His gaze then drifted toward the pile of miscellaneous items in the corner, and he immediately reconsidered.
...Okay, maybe I would.
Shaking his head, Klein dismissed the thought and focused on locating the ship carrying the "Demoness of Affliction" who had been tracking Tracy.
—He planned to disguise himself as "Tracy" to infiltrate the "Celestial Sect." Most of his preparations were complete; the only thing missing was the abilities befitting a "Demoness" to maintain his cover. Thus, he intended to use "Creeping Hunger" to enslave a "Demoness"—preferably at least a "Pleasure"-sequence one.
Such "Demonesses" were usually hard to find, but currently, a ship full of them from the "Demoness Sect" was cruising near the Rorsted Archipelago. As the "Sea God," tracking them down was child's play.
With a thought, the sapphire at the tip of his "Trident of the Sea God" glowed brightly.
Simultaneously, schools of fish of various species rose to the water's surface.
They caught the faint, misty light that spilled from nowhere, circled once, then dove back down, each heading in different directions.
Whew... This is quite draining... Klein rubbed his temples with his left hand.
His manipulation of marine life hadn't been simple—he'd imbued them with traces of supernatural spirituality, enabling them to transmit visual information back to him through prayer should they locate the target vessel.
While this posed little difficulty for the "Sea God Scepter," the strain on Klein himself was considerable.
Having completed this task, he didn't even bother returning the scepter to the pile of miscellaneous items. Instead, he immediately returned to the real world, removed his coat, and collapsed onto his bed. He then attempted to meditate on layered spheres of light to soothe his physical and spiritual exhaustion before drifting into sleep.
.....
In the ritual chamber beneath the ancestral home of the Surrey family in Tosk, Helen and Closfia watched as Ebner used two books and two cards to open a door that seemed to exist between reality and illusion, their eyes filled with awe.
Unaware that this was one of Roselle's arrangements, they assumed it was Ebner's own handiwork.
—Since there was no longer any need to "steal" miracles, The Book of Fortune Stealing and the "Error Card" were no longer essential for opening the "door."
The trio quickly stepped through the boundary between reality and illusion, entering the treasure hoard of the "King of the North." This time, however, the frost dragon wasn't sleeping atop its golden mountain.
"It's almost indistinguishable from reality... The power of ancient gods is truly formidable!" Closfia picked up a gold coin, studying it with admiration.
Helen, however, had no time for such reflections. After closing her eyes briefly to sense their surroundings, she pointed southeast. "Over there—about 150 miles away!"
No sooner had she spoken than she flew out of the dragon's cave.
Exchanging glances, Ebner and Closfia promptly employed their own means to follow.
—Ebner naturally had no trouble, capable of simulating flight himself while also possessing a "Cloak of Flight." As for Closfia, being the wife of a "Classical Alchemist," she certainly had no shortage of flight-enabling artifacts.
Soon, braving the snowstorm, the three approached the battlefield where the "King of the North," Yulisan, was locked in combat with the "Shaman King," Silvia.
From a distance, the towering, ten-meter-tall reptilian beast appeared utterly wretched. Not only was one of its massive, membrane-covered wings severed, forcing it to grapple with the vampire on the ground, but the beautiful, crystalline scales covering its body had also been torn away in large patches, leaving bald, exposed sections.
Had it not been for the frost dragon's thick hide and incredible resilience—and Silvia's lack of armor-piercing techniques—the "King of the North" would have fallen long ago!
Spotting the trio's approach from the air, Silvia immediately halted her assault on the dragon. Recognizing them instantly, she wasted no time attempting to disperse into a swarm of spectral bats and flee.
She knew all too well how terrifying the silver-haired, silver-eyed woman was. Even with the aid of a "Bizarro Sorcerer"-grade mystical item last time, she'd barely escaped with her life. Now, without that artifact, she dared not linger.
And that infuriatingly alluring young man with his arsenal of powerful items was here too!
Yet just as she was about to make her escape, a new thought struck her: In this bizarre world, running might be futile. Why not gamble—take one of them hostage to force the others to let me go?
The silver-haired woman was too strong, and the bespectacled young man seemed equally troublesome. That left the chestnut-haired woman, who appeared comparatively frail—even her "flight" relied on external means. Perfect target!
No sooner had this thought formed than a crimson moon rose within Silvia's body, and in a flash of moonlight, she materialized directly in front of Closfia.
They didn't react in time! Ecstatic, Silvia prepared to first incapacitate the woman with a "potion" before taking her hostage.
What she failed to notice, however, was the slight curl of Closfia's lips—or the pity in Ebner's eyes.
This fool, her mind already warped by worshiping an evil god... Her mental island may look more dangerous, but to a "Dreamweaver," it's full of holes.
Thus, Closfia effortlessly "manipulated" Silvia, weaving for her a "beautiful dream" in which she successfully took a hostage and fought her way free.
Alas, just as the dream-Silviawas about to escape this strange world, her "hostage" transformed into a dragon even more colossal than the "King of the North"!
Hiliya jolted awake—only to despair upon discovering she was actually pinned beneath a dragon's claw, moments before a torrent of "dragon's breath" engulfed her face.
Then she "awoke" again, trapped in another "beautiful dream" with an equally gruesome ending...
A demigod with mental vulnerabilities truly suffers at the hands of a high-sequence "Spectator"...
As Ebner attempted to cast "Violet's Perfect Restoration" on the barely breathing "King of the North" to prevent its immediate demise, Closfia suddenly let out a soft exclamation.
"What is it?" Ebner asked. He knew the "Sloth" lady was currently subjecting Hiliya to various scenarios to extract hidden secrets—had she discovered something?
"In a dream scenario involving the Delien family, I found her memories had been tampered with."
"But the moment I touched them, they self-destructed... Only two phrases remained, the ones that had left the deepest impression on her."
Here, Closfia donned Silvia's "persona mask" and replicated the vampire's tone verbatim:
"The Deliens are not truly devout to the Mother Tree..."
"...A strange spirit that emerged from a box—high in rank, yet lacking Beyonder characteristics to sustain it."