September 22nd.
Everything was normal in Puning Harbor.
Investigators from the three major Churches in Backlund had already secretly arrived in Southville County.
Having learned from the previous experience of the Church of Evernight's Red Gloves team, they knew better than to head directly to Puning Harbor. Instead, they began their investigation with the death of Leonard Augustus.
During the investigation, they discovered that the true cause of Leonard Augustus's death was illness brought on by excessive worry, which ultimately resulted in his sudden passing.
The accidents and coincidences that had occurred beforehand had only influenced his death indirectly.
But such an investigation was clearly insufficient. They still needed to investigate the source of those accidents and coincidences, as well as the cause behind the bizarre death of the former Duke of Southville.
If they counted Dlink Augustus, whose life or death remained unknown, then three Dukes of Southville had already fallen here.
Just thinking about it made their scalps tingle. Who could believe there was nothing hidden behind all this?
Naturally, the greatest suspect behind these incidents was Count Hastur Campbell.
The motive was simple. The only thing that needed to be confirmed was whether he possessed the ability to commit these acts.
As the investigation neared its conclusion, the investigators sent by the Churches of the three Gods held a special meeting to discuss who would lead the team to Puning Harbor to conduct the investigation.
Throughout the discussion, the members of the Church of Evernight were notably unenthusiastic. In the end, a member of the Machinery Hivemind took on the task of leading the team.
When the investigation team headed by the Machinery Hivemind arrived at Puning Harbor, their spirituality immediately entered a restless and agitated state, as if the small harbor before them concealed an immense danger capable of devouring their lives.
Yet at this moment, they had only just stepped down from their carriages and had not even begun their investigation.
"Something feels wrong. Even the breeze drifting through the air seems to be rejecting our approach," someone said.
The others remained silent. In the end, they still entered Puning Harbor and began their investigation.
This time, the Churches of the three Gods had joined forces, providing ample manpower and resources.
If they fled back to Backlund with their tails between their legs, they would become a laughingstock.
When they decided to first pay a courteous visit before resorting to force against Count Hastur Campbell, they endured a bumpy carriage journey all the way to his residence, only to be stopped before they could enter.
Four guards dressed no differently from ordinary soldiers blocked their path. The cold hardness in their voices made it clear there was absolutely no room for negotiation.
What unsettled them even more was that these four guards gave them a terrifying feeling, as if the moment they disobeyed, a sharp blade would fall and sever their heads.
Even so, they could only steel themselves and continue negotiating, but it had no effect. They were still kept outside. Even after invoking the names of the three major Churches, they were unable to take a single step past the boundary.
One member of the investigation team wanted to see whether he could deal with these people using Beyonder abilities, but the moment the guards' gazes swept over him, he trembled in fear and no longer dared entertain any such thoughts.
With no other choice, they could only find somewhere to stay first.
"I think it would be better to leave directly, lest some accident occur." A member of the Church of Evernight spoke with great seriousness. "Even if you insist on staying, don't choose to stay at an inn. Consider this a warning."
"Can't you just explain things clearly?" The captain from the Machinery Hivemind reprimanded him in dissatisfaction. Acting so secretively made it seem as though they were the ones plotting something sinister in the shadows.
"Last time, members of a Red Gloves team came here to investigate a matter. At the time, they stayed at an inn…" The member of the Church of Evernight gave a detailed account of what the Red Gloves team had encountered back then.
After listening, the members of the investigation team looked at one another. In the end, they chose to stay at a viscount's residence.
Then, over the following days, they remained stuck wandering around the nearby area, never finding another opportunity to venture out.
…
Inside the heavily guarded residence, Ariella was patrolling everywhere with wide eyes. She looked so serious that even if someone placed a pile of dried fish in front of her, her gaze would not shift in the slightest.
Two days ago, she had accepted the great mission of protecting her master's safety.
With such a mission upon her, she was no longer lazy or gluttonous and spent every day diligently patrolling.
Only when Sharon called for her would she respond with a few meows.
Outside the door to Hastur's room, Sharon stood like an exquisite doll, silently guarding the person inside. Her seemingly lifeless eyes would show the faintest ripple only when they swept over Ariella.
Advancing from Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 was a difficult process. During this process, advancement itself could fail for all sorts of reasons, ultimately causing the Beyonder to fall into madness and completely lose their reason.
If one could not maintain a quiet environment or was deliberately disturbed, then there was basically no hope of successfully advancing.
Even someone as powerful as George III had been at his most vulnerable while advancing to Black Emperor. Otherwise, as a Sequence 1 who also possessed the other two Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics and the Uniqueness, his strength would have been second only to that of a true god.
It was precisely because he had been disturbed that his advancement failed, leading to his complete demise.
When Sharon had advanced to Sequence 4, many members of the Temperance faction had likewise guarded her day and night to prevent anyone from suddenly disturbing her.
Only then had she successfully advanced and passed through the dangerous period.
Hastur's current situation was similar to hers. Although the people guarding the perimeter were extremely powerful, the person standing closest to him was herself.
The person allowed to stand in this position was undoubtedly the one trusted most.
Caius had come to report some matters, but Sharon had sent him away again. Lady Lisa, meanwhile, seemed to realize something and proactively cooperated with Sharon. She stationed the members of the Yellow-Robed Monks around the outer perimeter and strictly forbade anyone from coming to disturb them during this period.
She herself also remained outside while forbidding anyone from approaching Sharon.
At a time like this, Lady Lisa was undoubtedly a reliable pillar. The only thing Sharon was worried about now was Hastur's advancement inside the room.
She did not know whether it was merely an illusion, but standing outside the room, she could not sense even the slightest fluctuation from Hastur's advancement within.
Even Hastur's aura seemed to have completely vanished from her perception. But Hastur had always been this mysterious, so she put aside the worry in her heart.
…
Inside the room, there was currently not a single person. There was only an empty bed.
Hastur, who had previously been lying on the bed, had already physically entered the Hall of Stars.
Doing this was not difficult. Hastur had been capable of it before, but it was far less discreet than entering through a dream.
Within the Hall of Stars, Hastur had already consumed the potion required to advance to Sequence 4, the Lost One.
It had been concocted using the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 4 Earl of the Fallen from the Black Emperor pathway.
Advancement along the Stars pathway allowed Beyonder characteristics from other pathways to serve as the primary ingredient of the potion. This was a special trait of the Stars.
When Hastur consumed the corresponding potion inside the Hall of Stars, he distinctly felt his body and mind completely merging with the Hall of Stars. This was the first time he had ever experienced such a sensation.
In the past, he had always felt like a tenant of the Hall of Stars. But this time, he truly felt that the Hall of Stars belonged to him, that he was the master of the Hall of Stars!
At this moment, it was as if he had truly become the One Who Returns the Stars to Their Positions. The entire Hall of Stars rested within his palm, moving according to his thoughts.
As the potion began to digest, obvious changes also appeared throughout the Hall of Stars.
It rose once again, ascending deeper into the skies, toward the boundless starry sky.
The countless stars filling the skies seemed even closer, as though they were now within reach of his fingertips.
Hastur tried extending his hand, only to be blocked by a transparent membrane. Like a loyal guardian, it silently stood watch, refusing to allow anyone, or any power, to pass through.
After quietly sensing it for a long while, Hastur vaguely guessed the origin of this transparent membrane.
The original barrier separating the starry sky from the real world.
Had the Hall of Stars already risen to this position?
Hastur's heart stirred slightly. He was not surprised that the Hall of Stars would continue rising. He merely felt that its ascent was somewhat too fast.
He had originally thought that he would only be able to reach the same level as the six current true gods after advancing to Sequence 2 or Sequence 0.
If things continued at this rate, then by the time he reached Sequence 2 or Sequence 0, the Hall of Stars would break through the original barrier and return to the starry sky.
The original barrier before him was not preventing him from continuing to ascend. Rather, with his current strength, the Hall of Stars under his control could only reach this position. If he wanted to leave the real world and enter the starry sky, he would still need to wait until he advanced to Sequence 2.
It was like the difference between flying above the surface of a planet and escaping the planet entirely. They were two completely different concepts, and the amount of power required differed enormously.
Hastur withdrew his gaze from the starry sky and looked around at the divine kingdoms of the six true gods now level with him.
He saw the divine kingdom of the Evernight Goddess hidden within the darkness of night. The authority of Concealment caused even Her divine kingdom to remain hidden, making it difficult to glimpse its true appearance.
Across another kingdom's surface flowed scene after scene depicting the evolution of civilization, alongside steel behemoths such as warships and cannons. Behind them, densely packed yellow gears turned, driving civilization ever farther forward. This was the divine kingdom of the God of Steam and Machinery.
Another was a stretch of fertile land covered with all manner of plants, lush and flourishing. Countless branches intertwined throughout a scene brimming with vitality. This was the divine kingdom of the Earth Mother.
A kingdom of light burned like a blazing sun, though it had clearly begun to dim. Its gates were tightly shut at this moment. This was the divine kingdom of the Eternal Blazing Sun.
The divine kingdoms of the Lord of Storms and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom likewise manifested according to their respective characteristics.
And a ruined kingdom, already torn apart, where the twilight sky was gradually being consumed by darkness, was the former divine kingdom of the God of Combat.