Zaratul… wasn't Zaratul already completely out of control, then taken by the Goddess into the Evernight Kingdom?
Wait… this place seems to be the Evernight Kingdom… Could it be that after being "used" by Old Huang for so many years inside the Dream Labyrinth Tower, He still hasn't "broken"?
As Klein's thoughts churned, he probed cautiously:
"I've heard of your surname.
"I once met the Mystery Queen, and from her learned of the Secret Order, and of its leader."
Ebner, controlling Zaratul's historical projection, glanced at Klein and chuckled:
"Lying!
"Or rather—you didn't tell the whole truth!"
Klein's expression stiffened instantly. Before he could find suitable words to patch things up, he heard the other continue in a vague, low voice:
"But I don't really care where you heard of me, or where you may have seen me…
"I only need you to find a black obsidian stone slab, then place it into the corresponding groove in the wall behind me…
"And that is the only way out."
Klein frowned and immediately asked:
"If you know how to leave, why do you stay here?"
Klein really is cautious… I'm afraid even if I revealed my identity on the spot, he might not believe it!
With that thought turning, Ebner laughed softly and said:
"You may have heard of an ability called 'historical projection'… I used that ability to locate a fissure in the history and fate of this world, sliced off an image of myself, and froze it here, maintaining it until now…
"I won't hide it from you—so long as you open the passage to the outside world, I can use that to locate my main body, complete a 'miracle', and gain a chance at resurrection.
"So at least when it comes to leaving, our goals align."
Ebner knew Mr Fool's personality very well. The fabricated "story" was logical and coherent, so Klein was indeed fooled for a moment.
Not to the point of fully believing it—but at least he was no longer filled with suspicion.
I've certainly heard of the 'historical projection' ability, and even seen Mr Tower use it… But his method was clearly different from yours.
After carefully thinking it over, Klein asked again:
"Has anyone gone out before?"
He knew that Mr Tower had gone out before. Although the other party, out of deference to the Goddess, hadn't dared describe the Evernight Kingdom in detail, it would be difficult for Zaratul to lie convincingly about this matter.
A bit clever, aren't you…
Ebner smiled and shook his head:
"I only 'awakened' recently, so I'm not too clear on earlier matters… but in the past few months, no one has left."
So this so-called 'historical projection' only appeared after the first level of the Dream Maze Tower was cleared, and the out-of-control Zaratul was transferred by the Goddess into the Evernight Kingdom?
Does the Goddess know about this? Or is this also part of Her test?
As his thoughts turned, Klein decided to cooperate with Zaratul's projection for the time being.
Although he didn't fully trust the other party, adhering to the idea that knowing more would help with judgment, he spoke again:
"Then where should I look for that black obsidian stone slab?"
Ebner chuckled softly:
"It was brought into the town by a 'Marionettist'. If he isn't dead yet, it's still in his hands.
"If he's dead, then it's in the hands of whoever 'ate' him."
In truth, there was no such "Marionettist." After Ebner and Alvin left, the stone slab had simply been thrown into the town by the Zaratul projection.
Klein's scalp tingled, both from the brutal survival conditions of the town and the difficulty of locating the slab.
"Then it will be very hard for me to find that obsidian stone, since it could be in anyone's hands." Klein did not hide his difficulty, watching to see what advice the other would give.
"Aren't you a Seer? Why not rely on the Dowsing Rod Method?" Ebner teased, then continued, "You should be glad—before I awakened, someone seems to have cleaned out this town, wiping out all the strong figures!
"And now, there aren't many people left alive in the town."
Not many people are left alive? That's good… The one who cleaned out the town's strong figures should be Mr Tower, who chased Despair Nightingale in here back then, right?
Klein's thoughts raced, giving him some confidence, but he still emphasized the difficulty:
"You should know that divination requires a medium…"
Hearing this, Ebner upheld the fine tradition of an excellent NPC and pointed toward a sheepskin parchment on the ground ahead.
Klein had actually noticed that parchment long ago, but since it was too close to Zaratul, he hadn't dared approach it. Seeing the other point to it, he now examined it carefully.
It was a somewhat tattered sheepskin parchment. There were no words on it—only three numbers, from one to three, each followed by a simple sketched symbol.
A Warrior or other pathway Beyonder might be completely at a loss, but as a Seer skilled in interpreting symbolism, Klein easily deciphered the secret:
Using three specific items corresponding to the symbols to open the parchment's hidden secrets.
Ebner chose this moment to speak:
"In a certain sense, those three numbers are actually 'doors'. Behind each is a segmented space, likely originating from a Mysticism Magister's 'Spatial Concealment' ability.
"That is to say, this parchment is actually the 'entrance' to three storage spaces, and the items represented by the symbols are the 'keys'.
"You can touch the numbers with your spirituality to see what's inside.
"Heh, it was probably left behind by a Mysticism Magister once imprisoned here."
Although Klein half-believed, half-doubted Zaratul's explanation, he still used the items on hand to perform a divination. Only after receiving a result of no danger did he cautiously extend his spirituality.
He soon understood what was stored inside the parchment's hidden spaces.
Slot "1" contains the "Bizarro Sorcerer" potion formula I've dreamed of… Unfortunately I can only see the title; the specific contents remain unclear. I'll need the corresponding "key"… That symbol looks somewhat like Azik's Copper Whistle…
Slot "2" records the method to leave the Evernight Kingdom… again, only the title… The key symbol here is a stone slab—this must be the black obsidian slab Zaratul mentioned. So it's the divination medium!
Slot "3" contains a method for crafting storage cards… I see—so the storage cards Mr Tower often uses came from here! That means this parchment isn't Zaratul's trap at all, but a genuine legacy left by a predecessor.
But why would the predecessor who left behind the Bizarro Sorcerer potion formula just so happen to set Azik's Copper Whistle as the key? Isn't that far too coincidental?
With this thought, Klein took out the copper whistle and placed it on the symbol in the first row of the parchment.
As he did so, the "door" behind the number "1" revealed its complete contents:
"Sequence 4: Bizarro Sorcerer.
"Main ingredients: The primary eye of a Trick Demon, the true soul of a Spirit World Marauder.
"Supplementary ingredients: 200 milliliters of Trick Demon blood, 30 grams of Spirit World Marauder dust, 10 grams of red-haired birch bark, one segment of golden grapevine, one finger-sized homemade rubber mask.
"Advancement ritual: Rely primarily on one's own power and planning, under the observation of numerous spectators, direct a grand theatrical performance to murder a demigod or equivalent extraordinary creature. Then, at the finale of the play, consume the potion."
Finally… the Bizarro Sorcerer potion formula is finally in hand!
Looking at the words before him, Klein was filled with excitement. No matter what, all his preparation had not been in vain.
And at this moment, "Zaratul"—or rather, Ebner—smiled and said:
"If you can help me open the 'door' to the outside world, I can tell you the formula for Scholar of Yore."
This was an instruction the Goddess had just transmitted. Having passed the test, She had acknowledged Klein's character and capabilities concerning "mystery."
"Since you value Zhou so much, I'll support him."
The Goddess's slightly amused voice echoed in Ebner's ears, yet Klein, standing close at hand, sensed nothing at all.
(End of chapter)