The colorful oil painting world faded, and mermaids emerged from the sea, looking confusedly at the deserted island.
The next second, all the mermaids trembled slightly, and a strange smile appeared on their delicate and beautiful faces.
They almost simultaneously extended their hands to take out a monocle, placed it nonchalantly in their right eye socket, and their melodious and playful voices echoed:
"You ran really fast! But what's the use of that..."
Ripples spread through the void, and Worms of Time crawled out, merging into the strongest mermaid at the forefront. Its flesh distorted and squirmed, finally transforming into Amon's appearance.
He pinched the monocle, extended his hand forward again, and strands of grayish-white mist, barely visible to the naked eye, were dragged and condensed by an invisible force, merging into the faintly glowing monocle. The corner of his mouth curled up slightly:
"I see you!"
Azik, who was traversing the Spirit World with Klein, suddenly felt an unprecedented sense of dread. Before the Underworld Gate in his glabella could open, the "Eye of Rusco," which had originally merged into Klein's flesh and blood, suddenly appeared.
The divinity of Kalvetua, which had been absorbed, was instantly exhausted. A dark tide surged from the depths of his profound pupils, severing the feeling of being spied upon, like a thorn in his back.
The seven pure lights of different colors, containing infinite knowledge, covering the highest point of the Spirit World, also shone brightly at this moment. The brilliant light even penetrated the mist of history, vaguely revealing an ancient palace overlooking the boundless grayish-white mist.
This area of the Spirit World was like it had been disturbed by turbulent currents, and all gazes directed here were deflected by the tide.
Swept by that terrifying power, Azik could not care less. He propped up the Underworld Gate, grabbed Klein, and rushed towards where his spiritual intuition pointed.
Passing through countless indescribably shaped shadows, Azik staggered out of the Spirit World, falling straight into the sea and splashing water.
Recovering from the chaos brought by the Spirit World's fluctuations, Azik, guided by the brass whistle left on Klein, leaped out of the sea and sharply turned his head to look behind him, his brows furrowed.
Standing there was a gaunt old man with gray but disheveled hair. His tattered woolen overcoat could not conceal the decaying deathly aura of someone on the verge of Death. The unconscious Klein was floating in front of the old man.
"Esteemed Death Consul, please allow me to introduce myself. You may call me Turanney-von-Helmosuin."
"Hmm, you can also call me 'Orange Light' Hillarion, as I am about to die and return to the Spirit World."
Gently pushing Klein in front of Azik, this avatar of Hillarion politely introduced himself, then sighed and added:
"Alas, I can finally witness the 'Great Ruler Above the Spirit World' when this body's life reaches its end."
Confirming that the "Eye of Rusco," which had previously erupted with strange fluctuations in the Spirit World, had fallen silent again, Azik subtly shielded Klein behind him and frowned, asking in return:
"The Great Ruler Above the Spirit World?"
Pure light peeled off from his decaying body, bit by bit merging into Klein's body. Hillarion smiled and nodded, explaining:
"In 'Yellow Light's' prophecy, the Great Ruler Above the Spirit World is one of the variables of the apocalypse."
"Before, I couldn't be entirely sure that he was equivalent to It, after all, there were too many possibilities for him to possess that kind of characteristic."
"For example, that one's Blessed, child, or chosen divine messenger."
"However, now I should be certain...."
Without stopping the light from merging into Klein's body, Azik glanced at Hillarion's increasingly shriveled and aged body, and nodded gently.
Those lights converged on the back of Klein's right hand, forming a seven-colored ring that enveloped the small square pattern formed by four black dots.
The grayish-white mist constantly seeping from Klein's body abruptly stopped, and he, who was in a coma, gradually showed signs of waking up. Hillarion finally looked at Azik and instructed:
"Although I don't know why Sefirah Castle suddenly mutated and attracted Amon's attention, my main body and the other Pure Lights, with the help of our special connection to the Spirit World, disrupted the Blasphemer's lock-on."
"This mark is a blessing formed by our Seven Lights using our Beyonder characteristics, but this is not a long-term solution. Only by advancing as quickly as possible and becoming a demigod can that special characteristic be completely concealed!"
-----------------
After explaining the essence of the Dreamwalker ritual to Audrey, Aaron concealed his aura and silently went to St. Samuel's Church.
In a quiet corner of the prayer hall, facing the huge Night Holy Emblem, Aaron softly recounted the abnormalities brought about by Klein's advancement.
After waiting a few seconds, no abnormalities occurred. Aaron stood up, drew a Crimson Moon on his chest, and his figure merged into the Darkness of the church corner, disappearing.
North of Seran, at the junction of the Hornacis Mountains and the Central Plateau of the Northern Continent, deep within a hundred-mile stretch of black hills, Yin power raged and spread.
Red scales appeared under the bright Moon, reorganizing into a pair of illusory and hazy giant bat wings inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols, opening to form a gateway. Aaron's figure emerged from it.
The "Specter Empire" ship, sought by various hidden factions, was suspended above the thorny black hills. Upon sensing Aaron's aura, Alvin Gallows's figure appeared under the moonlight.
Aaron scrutinized this Ancient Bane, nodding in satisfaction. Thanks to the incredibly rich Yin power of the Moon Country, Alvin Gallows, who had been severely injured from forcibly manipulating the "Specter Empire" to cut off the projection of the Mother Tree of Desire's power, had now basically recovered.
Alvin Gallows already knew Aaron's intention. His body suddenly swelled, and the "Gate of Reincarnation" appeared within his split body. Nearly a hundred High-Sequence undead flew from the "Specter Empire" and merged into the deep black vortex.
Rich vitality permeated, and the three Sanguine Dukes quietly appeared. After Alvin Gallows's body returned to normal, the youngest, "New Moon" Duke Jorna, looked at Aaron and spoke calmly:
"The Rose School of Thought's strength is greatly diminished now. I hope to go to the Southern Continent with you."
"If we can obtain effective intelligence, our Sanguine also plan to seize this opportunity to launch a surprise attack on the Rose School of Thought's headquarters, hoping to seize a holy relic left by our ancestor."
"And this might require your help!"
Aaron subtly frowned. The so-called holy relic was likely the key to the Mother Tree of Desire's erosion and mastery of a portion of the Moon domain's authority.
The war sweeping the world was already showing signs, and compared to the Rose School of Thought, which had an Outer God behind it, Aaron currently preferred to first deal with the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction, which was strong on the outside but weak on the inside.