The prayer scene ended with Howard Phillips re-entering the collective unconscious sea. Aaron recalled the information he had mentioned earlier on the Mind Island and couldn't help but click his tongue:
"There are no angels watching over the Midseashire County…."
As the Blood Emperor's relic, after being re-exploited by George III, regardless of whether these nine mausoleums were fully repaired, even without an angel personally stationed there, any attack would surely attract the attention of angels.
However, if one could enter silently, preventing the guards from notifying the corresponding angels immediately, that time difference would be enough to accomplish many things.
The Augustus family's rule over Loen in the Northern Continent has lasted for over thirteen hundred years. Unlike the Southern Continent, which has only seen a little over a hundred years since the discovery of new sea routes, to fundamentally destroy the Augustus family, besides the Church, the most crucial factor is the will of the people.
Since George III was digging his own grave by cooperating with the Aurora Order and the Demoness Sect to create the Great Smog, such a good opportunity naturally had to be seized.
Anyway, he had already informed Bernadette of the Aurora Order's schemes, and this Queen Mystic, who often roamed the Five Seas, would diligently keep an eye on those Lunatics from the Aurora Order.
As for the Demoness Sect, it was better to keep an eye on them himself. It wasn't that he had any particular thoughts about the Demoness, but simply because they still held a Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristic.
Even if his cooperation with Amon in the Forsaken Land of the Gods was merely a temporary measure, that Blasphemer would surely pay attention. However, the situation in Backlund would at most prompt him to send some avatars; his true body would never arrive.
In that case, the difficulty of seizing back the Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristic from the Demoness Sect would also increase. If there was ultimately no opportunity or a risk of premature exposure, Aaron had already prepared for the worst.
Thinking this, Aaron, who was about to leave the Nation of Disorder, raised an eyebrow slightly and looked towards the pile of sundries. A paper crane flapped its wings, hovering in mid-air, and silver symbols appeared on its surface, forming a somewhat indistinct human figure.
This was a paper crane Aaron had 'borrowed' from Will Auceptin after the battle in the Spirit World. As the controller of a Sefirah, Aaron could confirm that this paper crane was not being manipulated by anyone; it was more like a timer that would automatically activate at a designated time.
Will Auceptin's voice came from within the phantom, carrying a hint of cunning and self-satisfaction:
"By the time you hear this message, I should have successfully 'restarted.' Now, not even Ouroboros can find where I am, so you don't need to waste your effort."
"Before I am successfully born, the Life School of Thought and the Die of Probability will be entrusted to you. Do not refuse; this is the reward you deserve for my previous help."
"Also, the fluctuations of my 'restart' cannot be hidden from Ouroboros. That stinky snake has already recovered from his injuries and could emerge from the Forsaken Land of the Gods at any time. You must be careful and absolutely not lose the Die of Probability!"
Looking at the paper crane that had fallen back down and returned to stillness, an imperceptible smile appeared on Aaron's face:
"A joke. Do I still need to expend effort to find him?"
Pursing his lips, Aaron gave up on going to Doctor Aaron's house immediately to scare a certain infant, or more accurately, Will Auceptin, who was still just an embryo, and instantly left the Nation of Disorder.
-----------------
Backlund, deep within Iron Gate Street, the 'Bravehearts Bar'.
The abnormally pale Maric appeared to be sitting on the sofa, but his body was actually suspended in mid-air. Even though he had deliberately restrained his aura, the temperature in the private room continued to drop.
His dark grey eyes watched Klein, who sat on the opposite sofa, somewhat uneasy and constrained. Maric slowly said:
"That's roughly how things are. The Rose School of Thought is now controlled by the Indulgence faction. We, who advocate restraint and suppression of desires, were forced to leave the Southern Continent and seek refuge here."
"Even so, we still broke through layers of encirclement. The great battle in Bayam of the Berserk Sea and the death of that Admiral of Blood were the result of our cooperation with Duke Aaron."
"Of course, the one who truly cooperated with His Grace the Duke was another member; she is far stronger than I am. Her teacher also revived some time ago, and I think you can guess what that means."
Klein's mouth twitched slightly. Looking at Maric, who made his spiritual perception wildly warn him, being able to silently assassinate the Intis ambassador, who was already quite powerful, under heavy guard, was definitely the level of a Sequence 5.
How did he get involved with the Rose School of Thought again…? Recalling the bloody records he had seen in the Nighthawks' internal texts in Tingen City, Klein's scalp tingled slightly.
He had already provoked the Aurora Order and the Demoness Sect. Now, if he added the Rose School of Thought—no, if Mr. Azik was truly connected to the Numinous Episcopate, then…
Counting the Life School of Thought, which held goodwill towards him, and the mysterious and powerful Council of Entropy, how many secret organizations were there now? Yet, he had been in this world for less than half a year!
Shouting powerlessly in his heart, Klein forced a smile onto his face and tentatively asked:
"Respected Mr. Maric, you, you don't mean to ask me to join you, do you?"
Shaking his head calmly, Maric maintained his half-dead voice:
"No, we only cultivate Beyonders of the Prisoner Pathway; you do not meet our requirements."
"I invited you here this time simply to form a cooperation."
Cooperation?
If even a demigod can't solve it, how can a Sequence 7 like me help you? You're not trying to throw me into a pit of fire, are you?
Just as he was formulating an excuse in his mind to refuse Maric, the half-dead voice came again to Klein's ears:
"No need to rush to refuse. You can view this as a long-term investment; we will not demand payment from you now."
"Moreover, I don't need to tell you; I'm sure you understand that your current situation seems very unfavorable."
"If you agree, our demigod of the Temperance faction might be able to pull you out of trouble at a crucial moment."
Upon hearing this condition, Klein immediately wavered. He had to admit that Maric's words truly struck a chord with him.
Those terrible memories from Tingen City kept surfacing in his mind. He always felt that something big was going to happen in Backlund, yet he felt somewhat helpless.
Although Mr. Azik was trustworthy, he himself attracted a lot of attention. Contacting him rashly before a crucial moment might only bring trouble upon himself.
Besides that, the only real help he could get might be from the Council of Entropy, but frankly, his current financial situation truly couldn't afford to hire those demigods.
As for the option of requesting help from Mr. Fool at the Tarot Club under the name of 'The World,' that was a last resort, as it would greatly increase the possibility of his exposure.
Klein was not a Fool. From Duke Aaron's attitude towards him at the very beginning, and after coming to Backlund, the inexplicable goodwill from the old Monster who called himself Will Auceptin, and his two strange resurrections.
All of these indicated his special nature, or more accurately, the special nature of that mysterious gray fog space.
Seeing Klein's slight stir, Maric immediately struck while the iron was hot, his tone becoming less stiff:
"I can see that your spirituality has been thoroughly harmonized, so your potion must have been digested. You should be preparing for advancement."
"Potion formulas, Beyonder characteristics, or even advancement rituals—you can receive our help with all of them."
A flash of insight crossed his mind, and a smile suddenly appeared on Klein's face. He stood up and extended his right hand:
"Then, I wish us pleasant cooperation!"
After a brief weighing of pros and cons, Klein realized that he actually didn't have much choice. All he could do was strengthen himself as much as possible.
With no more internal struggle, Klein immediately put forward his request:
"I need a mutated pituitary gland and blood from a Thousand-faced Hunter. I can pay in gold pounds, or if you need any materials, I can exchange for them at MI9 and then trade with you."
Cooperation was cooperation. Klein did not intend to owe a favor for a small amount of material. He only lacked one main ingredient for the Faceless. He had already obtained the Human-Skinned Shadow characteristic from Mr. Fool through his alternate identity 'The World' during the last Tarot Club.
Seeing Klein's firm attitude, Maric no longer insisted. A cold wind swept through the private room, and he nodded, saying:
"Alright, in that case, at market price, it's equivalent to 2000 gold pounds."
Hearing this price, Klein breathed a sigh of relief. A main ingredient for Sequence 6 plus supplementary ingredients only costing 2000 gold pounds was definitely a friendly price, at least it didn't exceed the budget of the financially strapped Mr. Fool.
Taking out the 300 pounds of operational funds Prince Edessak had just given him at noon, Klein sighed at his meager wallet, placed the banknotes on the sofa, and slowly added:
"This is the deposit. I will pay the remaining balance once you've gathered everything!"
"Also, I need you to help me with something…" Looking at Maric, who was staring at him silently, Klein carefully said:
"I hope you can help me create a new identity document through your channels, with a complete life history and all necessary procedures, so that even the Nighthawks or Punishers cannot find any obvious loopholes."
"I can also pay for this with gold pounds or other items. I only have one request: it needs to be done quickly."
Leonard's sudden dream inquiry recently, and Talim's sudden death, made Klein realize that his identity had significant hidden dangers and loopholes.
However, there was nothing he could do about it. When he first crawled out of the grave in Tingen, he felt as if he had been abandoned by the entire world. Driven only by the anger in his heart, he came to Backlund, and his actions were naturally rushed.
Now, feeling himself in a whirlpool, Klein had to prepare to withdraw from Backlund in advance. Complete identity information was his primary concern.
Maric's pale gray eyes seemed to never waver. Floating in mid-air, he was not curious about what Klein intended to do and calmly asked in return:
"What kind of identity do you need? And what name do you want?"
Seemingly recalling certain things, Klein's expression was somewhat lost. He muttered softly:
"Hunting evil, let's call him Gehrman Sparrow."
"As for his identity, he is a bounty Hunter who wants to venture out to sea in search of quick riches."
When he obtained the Sequence 5 Marionettist potion formula from the Marionettist Rosago, Klein already knew that the advancement ritual required consuming the potion while listening to a mermaid's song.
Just by the name, he knew that mermaids must exist in the sea. Whether for future advancement considerations or to quickly accumulate wealth to cope with the increasingly large funding gap, a sea bounty Hunter was an excellent choice.
The door of the private room closed and then reopened. Klein rubbed his somewhat stiff limbs, put away his smile, and with a cold face, looked at Kaspars, who was standing not far from the door, smiling obsequiously. He left the Bravehearts Bar without a word and boarded a public carriage.
Bernadette, wearing an invisible hat, thoughtfully watched Klein as he departed. A slowly rotating cluster of stardust rapidly formed in her palm, and brilliant starlight surged, silently merging into the divining crystal wrapped around Klein's wrist.
After making the mark, Bernadette did not linger. Her figure quickly shattered into a cluster of bubbles and vanished into thin air.
-----------------
Loen, west of Southville County, Riddle Town.
Tonight, the crimson Moon was constantly hidden by clouds. Only faint light illuminated the desolate, abandoned town.
Soon after, two figures approached at an extremely fast pace, and with the faint light, a dark shadow could vaguely be seen following closely in the sky.
Leading the way was Ademisaul. Apart from his slightly torn clothes, his breathing was quite steady, but his tightly furrowed brows reflected his current mood.
Following him was the 'Fat Apothecary' Darkwill, whose face was flushed crimson and who was almost out of breath. Compared to Ademisaul, who was a Lucky One, Darkwill, who was only a Sequence 8 Beast Tamer, looked utterly miserable.
Even with the blood rushing to his face causing it to swell, he couldn't hide the dark spots on his face, which looked like marks left after rotten wounds had healed. Similar marks also appeared all over his body.
Aside from his inherent luck, the Lucky One's prerequisite Sequence, Robot, could significantly enhance various physical qualities, making one naturally talented in fields like combat and shooting. Therefore, Ademisaul did not find the chase and escape too strenuous.
Looking at the abandoned town shrouded in Darkness, Ademisaul stopped. This was the place he had been guided to by using his Sequence 7 Lucky One ability and a Sealed Artifact left by his teacher, Ricciardo.
According to previous experience, this place should help them temporarily shake off their pursuers, giving them a chance to heal and catch their breath.
The black shadow in the sky rapidly enlarged. The owl Harry, flapping his wings and with round eyes, uneasily landed on Ademisaul's shoulder, vigilantly surveying his surroundings.
After receiving confirmation of temporary safety, his somewhat ruffled feathers slowly relaxed. Harry the owl symbolically flapped his wings, raised his head, and looked intently at Darkwill, who was panting heavily:
"I didn't realize you could run so fast, you fella."