On the surface, Kabas Town was just like the ruins on the main peak of the Hornacis Mountains—there was nothing particularly dangerous…
But once certain conditions were triggered, one would enter the so-called "inner world," slipping into a nightmare state. As one ventured deeper into the dream, it grew increasingly terrifying, until eventually reaching places hidden within the dream itself—such as the Land of Evernight, or like now, this counterfeit holding the Queen of Calamity.
If my speculation was correct, the condition for Kabas Town in reality to trigger "horror" and "calamity" lay within this very church!
It was both the refuge that sheltered villagers in the nightmare, and also the very source of the town's crisis.
I remember Miss Justice once mentioned to me privately that this town had an old proverb: "Sleep, night falls, enter the church, make no sound."
Although the villagers always found the order of that saying odd—after all, normally "nightfall" came before "sleep"—for some reason, it had been passed down in town for generations without interruption.
Looking at it now, this was clearly someone having imprinted into the villagers' subconscious a way to deal with straying into the nightmare, giving them a chance to survive when faced with dream-monsters.
I just don't know who created this "counterfeit"… it doesn't look like Roselle's handiwork at all…
Could it have been a Horror Bishop or a Servant of Concealment?
After exploring the surface layer of Kabas Town's dream once more and finding nothing, Ebner did not waste any more time. He used the Dreamwalker ability of "dream jumping," quickly entering the dream of one of Professor Michelle's servants, and from there returned to reality to reunite with Xio.
Seeing Ebner return safely, Xio put away the weapon she had kept at the ready and asked with concern, "How did it go?"
"Temporarily resolved…" Ebner briefly described what had happened just now, then added, "I also planted a suggestion in Professor Michelle's mind, prompting him to visit the Church of the Evernight. From now on, he shouldn't stumble into that dangerous dream again."
After listening, Xio said thoughtfully, "You seem to be quite invested in matters relating to the God of Luck and the Queen of Calamity…"
In truth, I'm also interested in Giuseppe, Daniel, Ivan, Vicente, and Rhine… After all, I need to figure out exactly what they did. Otherwise, who knows what kind of traps my past selves might have left for my current self?
Not to mention, just the thought that I might have descendants with gods or angels is enough to make my scalp tingle!
Of course, even if he grumbled inwardly, Ebner couldn't share those words with Xio for now. He simply attributed it to being a task assigned by the Mother Goddess, glossing it over.
Fortunately, since it concerned gods, Xio didn't suspect anything.
By this time, dawn had already broken. After the two of them had breakfast together at a café, they parted ways in appearance.
Xio wanted to visit her mother and younger brother before the first train of the day arrived, while Ebner used an excuse to slip into the shadows, secretly following her, intent on uncovering the source of the dangers he had glimpsed in some of her tributaries of fate.
It wasn't that he didn't want to protect Xio openly, but if he did, it would count as a Seer interfering directly. That would render her fate unpredictable, and she might encounter even greater dangers outside his observation.
As for the "Alchemist" and "Floating City" that Klein had mentioned, those had to be set aside for now. Neither the master nor that underground space would disappear anytime soon.
…
Nass, within the floating city's high tower held aloft by metal supports.
At first, Klein had been curious about the "Floating City," wandering about under the guidance of the golden-haired girl puppet. But he soon discovered that most of the facilities here were empty, even the "engine room" nothing more than a display…
The puppet explained that Master Klaus had spent decades without deciphering the meaning of the city's power runes, and so had planned to replace them with steam engines instead…
Unfortunately, with the current output of steam engines, it was absolutely impossible to lift such a massive mountain into the sky.
However, to Klein—who often tapped the mysterious space above the gray fog for answers—the structure of those runes seemed more like glyphs that borrowed the power of one or several higher beings…
Just as he was about to perform a divination on the origins of those runes out of boredom, Jane suddenly found him and said with a smile, "The enhancement of that mystical item has been completed. Master Klaus asked me to fetch you."
"Didn't you say it would take a full day?" Klein abandoned his plan to divine the runes, asking in surprise.
"The process went smoothly, so it was finished early," Jane explained, then asked with a smile, "What, haven't you finished sightseeing yet?"
How could I? This place is even duller than the City of Miracles, Liveseyd. At least there, the Hall of Honesty was somewhat interesting.
Though he mocked inwardly, on the surface Klein maintained Gehrman's persona. Following after Jane, he asked casually, "By the way, Miss Jane, aren't you a crew member of the Future? How did you end up acting as Master Klaus's agent?"
"Ebner told you even that? You two really are very close friends…" Jane looked surprised and sighed with emotion.
Girl, what are you sighing about? Can't Mr. Tower have male friends too? Klein grumbled inwardly, but outwardly, with Gehrman Sparrow's unique courtesy and choice of words, he replied, "Actually, I am also a friend of Miss Cattleya. Soon I'll be boarding the Future to head to the easternmost waters of the Sunia Sea, that near-illusory perilous ocean."
"You're a friend of the Captain too?" Jane grew even more surprised. She turned back to study Klein several times, until she saw him take out a pure crystal ball. Her eyes flickered with a strange light, then she smiled meaningfully. "The Captain even gave you the contact crystal… You really do know each other…
"In that case, you're not an outsider. There's no harm in telling you.
"Opportunities to work for Master Klaus are actually highly sought after within the Dawn of Elements! Because serving him for just half a year entitles you to one request of his personal help.
"And for me, the ritual to advance to Sequence 5 requires me to construct a temporary environment that screens off the Underworld. So I asked the Queen and obtained this position as his agent."
The Queen… the Mystic Queen? Looks like the intel Ebner gave me was right. The rumors about the Admiral of Stars breaking with the Mystic Queen were false.
But Miss Jane, you just revealed such crucial information directly—was that really fine? Was it just because I'm friends with Ebner and Cattleya? Isn't that a little too reckless?!
I'll have to ask Ebner to talk some sense into her later.
Do all women of the Corpse Collector pathway speak so distinctively? Miss Daly never stopped cracking jokes, while Miss Jane blurts things straight out.
While Klein mocked inwardly, he and Jane had already arrived at Master Klaus's laboratory.
After the routine procedure to dispel lingering odors, Klein saw Klaus himself—heavy dark circles under his eyes, yet looking energetic.
"Because the sealing level of this item's power was extremely high, the upgrade of 'Creeping Hunger' went much smoother than I expected.
"However, correspondingly, to prevent it from breaking the original seal structure when it suddenly gained power, the extent of its upgrade was limited…" Klaus sipped black tea as he spoke.
"What exactly has been improved?" Klein maintained Gehrman Sparrow's cold demeanor, asking in a low voice.
"First, its capacity increased from five souls to seven, and it can now pasture a demigod's soul up to Sequence 4.
"Second, you can use it to access two demigod-level abilities: Shadow Concealment and Shadow Domination… but each use requires feeding it a person.
"Third, switching between pastured souls is now much faster, nearly instantaneous, allowing seamless transitions.
"Finally, when you pasture a soul again, the ability gained is no longer purely random—you can choose it yourself."
From Klaus's tone, one could tell he was somewhat regretful at not being able to integrate the many abilities contained in the "Black Knight" characteristic into Creeping Hunger.
But Klein was already very satisfied. With the upgraded Creeping Hunger in hand, together with the Burial Blade and the newly acquired Undying Bird revolver, even facing Mr. Tower before his demigodhood, he might not lose.
My persona right now is Gehrman Sparrow, a slightly deranged adventurer and bounty hunter… Holding back his inner joy, Klein kept his voice steady as he nodded. "Excellent. I am very satisfied with the upgrade. Thank you very much, Master Klaus."
"Since you carried my token, fulfilling your request was only natural," Klaus said with a wave. Then he smiled and added, "Besides, the wolf-fish you brought was genuine from Sunia Island. Compared to the local Nass variety, its flavor is stronger—and more delicious!"
Delicious… Klein's mouth twitched. He realized he could no longer take that word seriously. After a few polite words, he excused himself.
Once Jane had escorted Klein by carriage out of the underground space and returned, she lifted her head and said to someone unseen, "Does he have any problems? If he does, why did you have me tell him about the Dawn of Elements?"
At that moment, pea vines suddenly descended from mid-air. Then came a gentle voice, devoid of any emotion: "We must continue observing…"
…
Backlund, at the villa on 28 Kingster Street.
Fors picked up the "Astrologer" Beyonder characteristic she had long since bought, and carefully placed it into the container already prepared with auxiliary materials…
Before long, a cup of deep blue, viscous liquid that shimmered with starlight appeared before her. This was the prepared Astrologer potion.
I had already finished summarizing the Magician's Code in mid-March, and last week I fully digested the potion. If not for missing some auxiliary ingredients, I would've become an Astrologer three days ago… Still, it isn't too late now!
After muttering to herself, Fors picked up the cup and drank the potion in one gulp.
Moments later, after processing the knowledge directly imparted by the potion, she helplessly realized that even at Sequence 7, she was still a weakling in combat.
Moreover, since the potion had been brewed with a characteristic as its main ingredient, it meant she had to further digest portions of Apprentice and Magician again… So, it looked like she couldn't quit the circus job for now. Fortunately, the troupe leader had decided to stay in Backlund for another month or two. That should be enough time for her to finish digesting.
As for the method she had once asked about in the Tarot Club—expelling characteristics by having children—she only thought of it briefly before dismissing it. At mid-to-low sequences, role-play digestion was still faster.
With that, she donned a black pointed hat, slipped into a matching long dress, and dressed herself in the image of a stereotypical witch before heading out to the Syndis Circus in the Cherwood Borough.
…
East Chester County, Stone Steam Train Station.
Ebner, watching from the shadows as Xio methodically checked the passengers, suddenly looked up.
For in the clear sky, beneath a few leisurely white clouds, a blazing white spark of fire shot rapidly toward them!
A demigod of the Hunter pathway?
To reveal themselves so openly, with no concern for supernatural powers being seen by mortals…
Is this a member of the Ironblood Cross Society?
Is he the source of the crisis I saw in Xio's tributary of fate?