Irina sat in a comfortable chair by the window, her gaze calm as she watched the street below. Her eyes followed Klein's figure as he jumped down from the carriage and strode toward the entrance of the Azure Inn while Danitz followed nervously behind after hastily paying the driver.
Through her spirit vision, Irina saw something unusual. Wherever Klein walked, he left behind faint traces of blue mist, each footprint glowing briefly before leaving an imprint on the ground. With her normal sight, however, there was nothing but his quick steps and Danitz's pale, worried face.
And then there were the snakes. An enormous number of them lurked all around the area, writhing faintly at the edges of every street.
Their auras were strange and unnerving, but not terrifying. That thing has at best the strength of an angel, she thought to herself. Something I can look at calmly without any risk of harm, perks of my pathway. A soft hum escaped her lips.
Meanwhile, Danitz realized the "crazy adventurer" was walking faster and faster, forcing him into a half-run to keep up. Crossing the street and ducking into an alley, he suddenly froze as a greenish shadow dropped from a tree. Covered in scales, a long snake twisted its slick body and flicked its scarlet forked tongue.
Though Irina couldn't see it, she heard it perfectly, even through the multiple walls. With time, she had slowly gotten accustomed to each and every small sound. Hopefully it doesn't get worse with my next advancement. I don't want to have to go through this process again and again.
When both men finally disappeared from view, Irina waited a moment before rising gracefully. She opened the door, leaving the room prepared and ready to create a spiritual wall. I'm sorry, Klein... she thought with sadness. It's for your own good. You need that staff after all.
By the time she stepped into the living room, Klein had already burst through the entrance, and the pressure struck her at once. It felt like plunging to the ocean floor, heavy and unrelenting waves pressing from all sides.
Yet strangely, it wasn't painful. Her protection flared up, sparing her from the pressure and all negative effects.
The sound of rushing tides filled her ears, echoing from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Looking at Klein, she saw a faint light cloak him, an endless blue ocean surging behind the illusion. At its heart stood a colossal azure figure, towering, upholding everything like a pillar. What an annoying snake, she thought.
Klein's dark eyes briefly met hers—eyes that now glowed with an uncanny deep blue. He paused, still silent, before Irina gestured for him to follow her into her room.
Inside, she locked the door and sat down with practiced ease. Klein closed his eyes and waited.
Then, suddenly, he moved, taking four counterclockwise steps, each accompanied by a low chant that made Irina resist the urge to click her tongue.
When his oppressive aura finally dissipated, she simply opened her notebook and resumed scribbling more formulas for new spells.
When Klein returned from Sefirah Castle, he gave her a questioning look. Irina only shrugged, mouthing lightly, "Everything is fine, isn't it?"
He stared a moment too long, expression flat. She answered with a sweet and innocent smile.
With a sigh, Klein unlocked the door and stepped back into the living room.
Danitz, who had been pacing anxiously, jumped at his appearance. He gave Gehrman a wary once-over. "Are... you alright?"
Klein replied evenly, "It's settled."
"Settled?" Danitz blinked, glancing toward the bedroom. Had he imagined everything—the Sea God's curse, the suffocating presence? Through the open door he even saw Elena, perfectly calm, lounging in a chair and scribbling nonsense into that damned notebook of hers.
His chest tightened. What the hell happened in there? With her too? She wasn't even a Beyonder! And yet Gehrman ridded himself of the curse in mere minutes. Does this guy have some insane secret? Or—no... don't tell me he pushed the curse onto her instead!
A chill crept up his spine as the realisation dawned on him. Danitz's gaze darted between Gehrman and Elena, quick and fearful, before he instinctively shuffled back two steps, making room for the madman—just in case.
Irina, wrapped in a darkness spell she had created after studying Danitz's cloak, sat crouched on a rooftop. Before her floated a faint circle of light, visible only to her, a magical lens that reflected the scene unfolding far ahead. Too small to catch with the naked eye, the spell worked like a pair of binoculars.
Behind her, in the alley at the foot of the building, Klein also watched the scene on a ring that mirrored Irina's view.
And they say magic is only for fighting, Irina thought happily, lips curving as she enjoyed the show.
On the screen, Danitz muttered to himself, sighing loudly, his face twisting with annoyance and barely contained anger. How much would I pay to know what's running through his head right now... or better yet—what if Gehrman appeared behind him and scared the sh*t out of him?
Hmm... perhaps I should make a spell for that. Maybe I can take some inspiration from the mirror abilities of the demoness pathway.
Danitz finally reached the front of the Cathedral of Waves. He slapped the poster onto the great door, sucked in a deep breath, and pounded on it with his fist, the noise echoing loudly through the night.
As soon as he finished, he spun on his heel and bolted out of there, his expression so exaggerated it deserved an award, as if ten Mandated Punishers were charging after him all at once.
Neither Klein nor Irina lingered in their position any longer. He pulled a paper figurine from his coat, shook it out, and set it aflame before walking away.
Irina, on the other hand, leapt from the rooftop, passing through her own magic circle. As soon as her feet touched the ground, the circle shattered into a thousand pieces that dissolved into nothing before they even reached the cold stone.
Klein, waiting calmly, watched her land and fall in step beside him. Together, they moved away from the area. He didn't comment, though inwardly he couldn't help but lampoon. She's creating more and more spells, some even mirror my own abilities. She's really bleeding me dry... she can do everything I can, and more! All as long as she studies the right text, object, or observes someone else.
They soon regrouped with Danitz at the predetermined point, a good distance from the Cathedral. The moment the pirate saw them, he hurried over, then forced himself to slow back to a casual walk as though nothing had happened.
Despite his dash, Danitz's face wasn't flushed, nor was he short of breath. Pirate stamina, Irina noted silently. And the Red Priest pathway too. If it were me running without magic to aid me, even with my Sequence 7 enhancements, I'd still be panting a little.
Soon, the trio turned a corner, and a massive red building loomed ahead with its interior brightly lit. Music spilled from within, mingling with the sound of carriages and laughter, and people even streamed in and out as though the night had no end.
"Ha, so we actually ended up here." Danitz hesitated for only a heartbeat before a grin broke over his face, one that every man understood.
Of course. That explains the ruckus, Irina thought, suppressing a sigh. The Red Theater. I should've guessed. Pirates really are... wild. She did her best to block out the vulgar sounds reaching her ears from within.
Danitz laughed mischievously. "This is one of the most famous spots in all of the Sonia Sea. There are mysterious and flirtatious Balam girls, passionate Feynapotter girls, open and alluring Intis maidens, tall and graceful Feysac ladies, conservative and quiet Loen women, gentle and docile natives..."
He knows a lot, does he come here often? Klein silently glanced at Blazing, and the look was enough.
The pirate's grin faltered. For some reason, he felt as though his very soul had been laid bare.
He forced a weak laugh. "Ah, that's just what pirates brag about. I've only been here a few times, really. I didn't have much money back then, so I had to make do with the average ones. Mostly around the Fog Sea. After I joined the Golden Dream..."
Klein thought quietly, no wonder. Vice Admiral Iceberg's men do get their share of treasure, but even so, it's hard to save up in Bayam. Compared to most pirates, at least this one shows some temperance... and even saves his money.
Perhaps sensing Klein's judgment, Danitz hurriedly changed the subject. "There are a lot of street girls in Bayam. Especially there."
He pointed off into the distance. "There was once a pirate who did an experiment. Knocked on random doors with a handful of cash, asking to spend a night with the mistress. Out of ten households, three to four agreed. Tsk. If it's someone like you, with that Loen look, almost no one would refuse. They'd probably hide their daughters instead, hoping you wouldn't notice them.
The farther they walked, the louder the music became. Klein frowned as a thought struck him. If I can hear it this clearly from here, then with Irina's enhanced hearing... she must be picking up on everything inside as well.
He turned his head slightly, only to find her staring at the ground with unusual intensity, as though trying to uncover the hidden history of rock number 476.
Yes, I used to read a lot of questionable books, that's true... but this? This is too much! Irina screamed inwardly. I never watched this kind of thing, so why in the world is the sound of people doing it so damn loud?!
Her hand twitched with the urge to slam her head into the nearest wall. I get it, this happened in the novel so we have to go through it, but I did not need the live sound experience! Is this what being corrupted by 'Her' feels like?!
Klein's expression didn't change, but he could tell. Yes... she definitely hears them. He inwardly drew an invisible circle over his chest with four clockwise taps and prayed for her. I, on the other hand, am very grateful for my own abilities and lack of enhanced hearing.
Danitz, watching from the side, had noticed Gehrman glance at Elena, only for her to ignore him. He stifled a snicker. Oh? What's this? Gehrman wanted something from her, but she just flatly turned him down?
His gaze flicked back to the giant red building, and suddenly his mind raced. Wait a second... what if Elena is somehow connected to the Red Theater?!
He tried to study her discreetly, though Gehrman stood like a wall between them. She does dress like a pirate, but nothing she wears fits the local weather. Everything is so... open. No, no, too far-fetched. Maybe she just worked in a similar industry?
But the thought wouldn't leave him alone. What if Gehrman asked her silently to go in, and she refused? There aren't many silent questions one could ask. It's either 'go in' or... well, no, it has to be that. But Gehrman? I've never seen him be unfaithful. Only Elena with that Alger guy...
A lightbulb went off in Danitz's brain. No way. Did Gehrman want to do it, and she just rejected him outright? This woman cheats on him and won't even sleep with him? They don't even share the same room at night, and yet they're still together!
Gehrman really is in love, huh? Who would've thought—even a crazy adventurer can fall for someone after all.
But then his mind stopped. Wait, no. Back in Bansy Harbor, he locked her out of the cathedral and left her to die. She had to be rescued by the Mandated Punishers. That's not something a man in love would do... I'm definitely missing something here.
The three continued on, leaving the rowdy streets behind as they turned into a quieter alley that would eventually lead them back to the Azure Inn.
Goddess above, I will never scrub these sounds from my ears, Irina thought in pure agony. It feels so wrong hearing multiple people at once—UGH! I want to bathe my ears in bleach! Driven by the desperation to escape, she quickened her steps.
Klein immediately noticed and matched her pace without a word. I really wouldn't want to be in your shoes right now, Irina, he thought sympathetically.
Danitz, misinterpreting again, nearly stumbled to keep up. Now she's speeding up? Wow, she's furious at Gehrman for asking her that. No wonder she's storming off.
His mind whirred as he tried to piece it together. What if they actually have some kind of... open relationship? That would explain Elena sleeping with Alger while Gehrman simply brushed it off. But this madman has never shown interest in any other woman but her.
He grimaced, brain overheating. So maybe I got it wrong. Maybe he wasn't asking her to sleep with him at all, but just to go into the Red Theater. But Gehrman asking? No, he wouldn't, would he? Then again, he calls himself a gentleman. He pulls her chair out, opens doors, all that strange civilized nonsense.
With his head throbbing, Danitz finally settled on his grand conclusion. Yes. That must be it. Gehrman asked to stop by the Red Theater, but Elena refused and got angry at the very idea. That's why she sped up. And Gehrman—this mad gentleman—simply went along with his girlfriend's wishes. What a bizarre couple...
Dogshit! Even pirates have simpler relationships than this!
The following morning, after enjoying Danitz's shocked reaction to Azik's messenger, which he of course assumed belonged to Gehrman, Irina watched Klein put away the copper whistle and calmly sit down for breakfast.
After some time, a knock sounded at the door.
Danitz crept over and peeked through the peephole, only to recognize the figure of a middle-aged man in a boat-shaped hat.
"Elland? How did you find this place?" the pirate asked as he opened the door.
With a chuckle, the captain of the White Agate, with wrinkles deepening around his eyes, replied, "When you checked into this hotel, you used Gehrman Sparrow's name for registration. It wasn't hard."
Klein slowly rose to his feet. "What happened?"
"Bayam had an accident," Elland explained, pointing toward the street. "Nothing catastrophic, but the military and Church have joined forces to launch a city-wide search and arrest. They're hunting a few powerful Beyonders posing as archaeologists. The problem is, Bayam is too big. Even with all their resources, they're spread thin."
"Heh." He then continued, "They think that although you're of unknown origin, you've been friendly to us. They hope you'll help in the search and prevent accidents. Naturally, remuneration will be given once it's done."
When Gehrman remained silent, Elland pressed on gently, "The sooner we find them, the sooner we can control the disaster. We might even save a few more lives."
Klein was quiet for a long moment before he gave a slight nod. "Okay."
Once again, everyone ignored her, but Irina didn't mind. She had already decided on her approach: she would copy what had happened back in Tingen. She would appear as her usual self, or whatever others perceived her to be, and when the time was right, she would reveal her powers. After all, that method had unknowingly worked in Tingen since she had felt her potion digest then. She now only needed to understand why it had worked.
As Gehrman and Elena slipped on their coats, Danitz suddenly realized that he, apparently, had been forgotten. Clearing his throat with a cough, he looked between the two pairs of eyes on him. "D-do I need to follow?"
"You can stay here," Elland replied with a laugh. "But someone will be here for the sweep later."
Someone's sweeping the area? And then the great pirate Blazing will just get caught and sold for gold pounds? Danitz forced a smile, hiding his unease. "Aside from the reward, there aren't many chances to make money from the military. I'm more than willing to give it a try. The only problem is, you'll have to wait a few minutes. I'll put on a disguise, Mr. Captain. I don't want to cause you any unnecessary misunderstandings."
Goddess above, spare us this atrocity. Irina resisted the urge to sigh aloud. If Elland doesn't step up, I'll end up doing his make-up again.
After a short pause, Elland pulled out an iron-black mask and tossed it over. "Just put it on. I'll explain the rest."
No need to waste time on useless disguises, Klein thought silently. Without another word, he opened the door and stepped into the street.
Elland followed close behind, and Danitz hurried after them, tugging on his coat and fixing the iron mask over his face.
They emerged into a street half-flooded by water and strangely devoid of pedestrians. Klein pressed down on the brim of his hat and asked, "How do we start?"
From that point, Irina simply kept close to Klein, quiet as Elena, shadowing him as they swept through Bayam. Some pirates were arrested while others fell in the midst of brutal skirmishes.
Barricades rose in the streets, guarded by policemen and official Beyonders. Behind one such blockade lay dozens of corpses, all simply piled over each other. Their tattered clothes and hollow faces marked them as natives.
Not far away, several children huddled in a corner, their wide, fearful eyes peering out from dirt-streaked faces.
No one spoke. The group simply moved on, continuing their search in heavy silence.
By noon, with Klein and Danitz's assistance, Elland had nearly completed the sweep. Irina hadn't even bothered separating from the group and helping; she had just watched the scene unfold.
Elland removed his boat-shaped hat and spoke with parched lips. "Let's eat some bread and drink some water before continuing."
Klein was about to nod when an orange firework exploded in the sky not too far away.
Elland immediately put his hat back on and broke into a run. "I'll go support them."
"Orange means other wanted criminals that can't be handled... who could it be?" Danitz muttered with interest, switching to an exaggerated high-knee march as if to delay his arrival. Hopefully the fight's already over by the time I get there.
But then he noticed Gehrman and Elena had both darted after Elland without hesitation, leaving him behind. Wait a second—how is she that fast?!
Two minutes later, they arrived at a house with a neat lawn facing the street. Three or four soldiers lay scattered on the ground outside. Their faces were pale, their bodies convulsing as though they'd been plunged into icy water.
The closer Klein got, the colder it became. The air itself felt like winter, and snow thickly packed the roadside ditches.
Then a burst of laughter cut through the chill. High and low, shrill and unhinged, ringing out from the house in a manic repetition. "Hahaha..."
"Gyahaahaahaa..."
"Hahaha..."
"Gyahaahaahaa..."
Danitz shivered violently, goosebumps crawling over his skin as he clutched at his neck with his right hand.
A sudden clang shattered the moment. A window burst open and a blackened corpse flew out, crashing onto the ground with a heavy thud. Their body was charred as though it had been consumed by fire for hours on end.
Klein didn't need to check twice. His spiritual intuition told him immediately that this was one of the three male adventurers who had once followed Leticia.
After sweeping his gaze over him—his face burned beyond recognition—he shifted to Elland, who hesitated only a moment before pointing to the unconscious soldiers sprawled outside.
"Drag them back first, then wait for the other teams... or..." His eyes darted toward the dark-blue airship approaching in the distance.
Without finishing the thought, Elland walked forward, intending to reach the collapsed men. But frost crept across his brows, and his limbs stiffened until his entire body seized up. His steps faltered, his breath coming out in white, puffy clouds. His teeth clattered as he stumbled back in retreat.
A freezing aura that defied all reason... Klein sighed inwardly before throwing his cane toward Danitz. "Fire."
He blinked in surprise but obeyed quickly. A dim scarlet fireball leapt from his hand, sputtering as it struck the frozen ground.
Using the flame, one after another, he hauled all the soldiers out, his form vanishing and reappearing in the flames until every man had been dragged to safety.
Elland, still trembling from the cold, managed a weak grin and raised his thumb. "I'm honored I asked for your help today."
Irina nodded internally, good job man! See? You don't need my help for such trivial things after all!
Klein only gave a curt nod, though privately he thought the captain might consider raising the pay. Danitz sulked off to the side, thoroughly overlooked, while Irina silently laughed at his actions.
The airship descended with a roar. Officers bellowed orders for evacuation before its cannons were unleashed. Explosions tore across the street, and the target house collapsed into rubble under the barrage. Smoke and dust rose high, swallowing the scene, and finally the biting cold dissipated.
Then lightning split the sky. It slammed into the airship, releasing some smoke as it staggered a bit, but didn't lose any altitude.
Klein's expression hardened. Not a demoness, then. They don't have power over lightning.
The ruins stirred, and from the shattered wreckage, a figure clawed its way out. Bright-red and charred, barely recognizable as human—Leticia.
Elland and the others froze at the sight. They might have found their target, but in her current state, she had become something unrecognizable, something terrifying.
Her body was riddled with black spots, artillery shells having torn open gaping red holes in her form. Within those wounds, pale fascia writhed, squirming like living things. The top of her skull had split wide, gray matter oozing free, sticking wetly to the surface like the palms of children overlapping each other.
Her unfocused gray eyes stared in opposite directions, one of them blazing with fire, while the other cracked with lightning.
And embedded grotesquely in her abdomen, just below her chest, were two additional heads, screaming ceaselessly in agony. The other adventurers.
Lost control, corrupted, and torn apart by the bombardment... Irina thought grimly. Poor woman. But oh well. She's not the first, and won't be the last to die like this, the novel was merciless after all.
The attacks came in a torrent: Psychic Piercing, Whip of Pain, purifying bullets, and small-caliber gunfire. Rampager Leticia only managed to crack the ground beneath her before she was torn apart and reduced to a dismembered corpse.
Her torso hit the ground with a heavy thud, and the two adventurers' heads rolled free across the rubble.
Klein's eyes narrowed as he spotted something. Nestled within the shredded flesh of Leticia's abdomen lay a yellowish-brown book.
On its surface, written in Elven, was a single line: Book of Calamity.
Eating cursed or corrupted notebooks has to be a trend at this point... Irina sighed inwardly, shifting her attention to the official Beyonders who stepped forward, preparing to interrogate the dying souls before they dissipated. What's next is them revealing the truth behind it and—huh... what's that sound? There's someone in the rubble...
Some military personnel seized the two male adventurers' severed heads, both still twitching with the remnants of life, and barked, "What did you do in the ruins of the Sea God?"
One head opened its mouth.
Instantly, a razor-sharp warning stabbed through Irina and Klein's spirituality. They had no time to react before the ground shook violently.
Thick, black chains erupted from the earth, shattering stone as they surged upward with terrifying speed. The Beyonders never even realized what was happening.
The soldiers interrogating the heads froze mid-motion, their limbs convulsing as the chains tore clean through their bodies—legs, torsos, even skulls. Blood sprayed across the rubble, drenching the ground in fresh crimson.
Irina could only stare, paralyzed, her mind short-circuiting. W-what is happening right now?!
The chains withdrew with brutal force, tearing the men apart. Bodies exploded into mangled pieces, blood spraying across the remaining walls as chunks of flesh smashed into the already ruined building. Dust and powdered stone spread, covering the massacre in a choking haze.
More gunfire answered in panic, but the shots only worsened the chaos as an expanding smoke screen swallowed the street.
The chains thudded against the ground, then disappeared into the earth as though they had never existed.
Irina's mouth hung open beneath her scarf, too stunned to form a single word. Chains? What Pathway is that...? And so crude and merciless. Those poor men, official Beyonders, no less... I'm sure they committed no cruelty to deserve such a grotesque death...
She forced herself to activate her spirit vision, and her eyes slowly widened.
Through the settling fog, an outline emerged—not just of a man, but of something he held up high: a lantern. Its light pulsed faintly and unnaturally. Her vision was strained against the smoke, but nonetheless, if albeit slower than usual, the knowledge reached her.
Her brain stalled and recoiled. What... what does that mean?!
The fog dispersed, and the man was revealed.
A long, dark cloak draped elegantly over his frame, immaculate despite the destruction. Not a speck of dust or blood marred the fabric, as if the battlefield itself dared not stain him.
But his face—
Refined, with sharp yet harmonious features. Golden curls framed his face, catching what little light filtered through the smoke. His eyes glowed with a serene bluish warmth, holy and innocent in their clarity. His expression was neutral, betraying neither anger nor joy, an almost divine calm that only made the carnage around him more obscene.
With his gloved hand he raised the lantern higher. The light within it flickered strangely, radiating an eerie force.
The instant Irina looked at it, her protection flared violently, and a cold chill rose up her spine.
Not that she needed the cue. She already knew the ability was extremely dangerous.
Yet knowing did not help her comprehend. She could only stand there, immobile, digesting the knowledge while her mind screamed, This man... he never existed in the novel. He was never even mentioned!
The artillery was fired again.
The ground shook as black chains surged upward once more, batting every shell aside. Some shattered on impact while others bounced back wildly, carving deeper ruin into the street.
The man remained untouched and unbothered. He didn't even flinch.
His gaze lingered on the fallen book for one more heartbeat before lifting, sweeping across the assembled Beyonders with chilling indifference. His refined, holy face remained unreadable, emotionless, utterly at odds with the aura of destruction that hung around him.
Irina swallowed hard, forcing out a whisper meant only for Klein, warning him not to engage in battle. "Sequence 5 Gravekeeper, Sentinel Pathway."