Chapter 187: Azik's Warning

The actions of the messenger shocked Klein for a full five seconds

before he recovered. He bent over and picked up the letter.

*"Even if Mr. Azik is unable to use a good portion of his abilities as a

Beyonder, because of his memory loss, being able to send out such a

messenger should make him powerful enough to deal with a Sequence 7 or 6

Beyonder."* His heart reflected his shocked and envious

expression. He didn't unfold the letter immediately. Instead, he placed

the letter into his pocket, together with the Slumber Charms.

The carriage continued forward. When Klein exited the carriage at

Daffodil Street, he instinctively looked at the driver, Cesare, only to

see his relaxed smile, as if he hadn't noticed anything unusual that had

happened.

Klein nodded and returned home after observing Cesare with his Spirit

Vision.

He looked at the balcony and pipes on the second floor and pondered for

a few seconds. He decided to maintain his gentlemanly behavior and not

attempt to scale the pipe back into his room. As for his stained

clothes, he would take them to the Blackthorn Security Company tomorrow

and get a professional to wash them through the police department. That

would prevent his clothes from shocking his maid Bella and his sister

Melissa.

Klein had removed the reverse lock on the front door before he leaped

out the window from the second floor. Now, he took advantage of the fact

that it was late at night and quietly opened the door to his house,

deftly making his way in.

After closing and locking the main door, he heaved a sigh of relief. He

went up to the second floor with hushed footsteps.

Stopping before his locked bedroom, Klein took out a tarot card calmly.

He inserted it into the slit of the door and lightly pulled, easily

breaking the specialized lock he designed himself.

He then entered the room, locked the door, and removed his clothes,

before he fully relaxed.

It sure feels like being a thief... Klein laughed as he shook

his head. He calmly took out his revolver and placed it under the

pillow.

After he was finished with all of that, he lit up the gas lamp and sat

in front of his desk. He took out the letter and began reading

seriously.

"I'm sorry for replying only now. I've been busy searching for traces of

my past. I've also been meeting up with former teachers and students and

those drag on late into the night.

"I finally understand the encounters that I've had over the past two

days after reading your letter. The police searched every room in the

hotel that I'm staying at. There was a person who secretly snooped

around in the hotel at night. Yes, I'm talking about a person with

Beyonder powers.

"...So Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos, who's a frequent character in

novels and newspapers, has infiltrated Backlund and has gone on quite a

killing spree. I remember that he's not only wanted by the Loen Kingdom,

he's also on the bounty list of the Feysac Empire, the Intis Republic,

the Feynapotter Kingdom..."

So, how much is the bounty? Klein subconsciously wondered.

He didn't get an answer because Azik had switched to mentioning

something else.

"I find the abilities of a Shepherd that you described quite familiar,

it's as if I've seen it somewhere, but I cannot remember where. It must

be an encounter from one of my past lives. Not being able to recall it

makes me very frustrated."

*Eh, Mr. Azik is a little interested in the Shepherd. I can use this to

get him to help me. Yes, this sure is coincidental... No, this is not a

coincidence, but inevitable!*

*It can be inferred that Mr. Azik has lived for over a thousand years

and is most likely a High-Sequence Beyonder. Then, he would most likely

have encountered the powers of many different Beyonders in his earlier

lives. He would also have deeper impressions of those that were more

unique... In other words, it isn't only the Shepherd that would give him

feelings of familiarity, but jobs such as the Unshadowed, Demon Hunter,

or Guardian that would do so as well...*

*It's highly likely that Mr. Azik would find any mystical item that

corresponds to a particular Sequence's abilities familiar and have his

interest piqued. That's something that can be imagined...*

Klein was doubtful at first before being enlightened. He was a lot more

certain as a result.

He shifted his gaze and continued to read the letter.

"I've long recalled some parts of the sacrificial ritual you asked

about, probably because I have a deeper impression of them. Perhaps I

was a priest in my one of my more recent lifetimes.

"I have to remind you and warn you, that you have to be very cautious

when using sacrificial rituals. You cannot entrust your safety to evil

gods or hidden, mysterious existences. They do not have consciences like

we do.

"Also, you have to possess a strong sense of right and wrong, for the

evil gods and devils often create seemingly harmless identities for

themselves. My opinion is that you cannot sacrifice something whose

presence you are not fully aware of; otherwise, your soul could end up

being the sacrificial item."

*In simple terms, evil gods and devils will take on another form,

disguising themselves as someone trustworthy... Just like on the

Internet, an account that claims to be a seemingly adorable chick might

be controlled by a huge bloke... He had to be cautious even if they were

to meet offline after confirming the person's looks, as the person might

just be cross-dresser...* Klein didn't disregard Azik's warning

just because he was conducting the sacrificial ritual for himself. He

nodded in approval.

After Azik emphasized a few things he had to look out for, he quickly

explained the sacrificial ritual he knew of.

"First, set up the ritual. Choose the symbols based on which deity or

unorthodox mysterious existence you are going to offer a sacrifice to.

Use the corresponding herbs and minerals of 'His' or 'Her' domain. Of

course, you can also make them into holy oils, ointments, scents, and

other items in advance."

Symbols? Klein froze for a moment. He realized that he---The

Fool that didn't belong to this era---didn't know what his corresponding

symbol was...

He thought for a moment, quickly recalling the complex symbol on the

back of his chair at the ancient bronze table. It was made up of a

Pupil-less Eye which represented concealment, and the partial Contorted

Lines which represented change.

*That should be my symbol, or more accurately, that is what symbolizes

me in the world above the gray fog. My domain is much simpler

then---concealment, change, good luck... But I cannot be too sure of

that, so I'll have to try it out... Even if the symbol is wrong, as long

as I get my honorary name right, the target of the sacrifice wouldn't

point towards some other entity. The worst thing that could happen is

that the ritual would fail. Of that, I'm certain...* Klein

thought as he rubbed the surface of the paper as he formulated a plan in

his heart.

His eyes focused on the letter once again, reading the rest of the

letter.

"Second, you need to be clear if the sacrifice needs to happen at a

specific time. Then, follow the processes of a normal ritual, until you

finish reciting the honorific names and incantations of the ritual.

"You must remember to use either Jotun, Dragonese, Elvish, or ancient

Hermes. You must use the natural powers in these languages to establish

a direct connection with the corresponding entity. You can design the

exact incantations to use, but it must include these critical terms:

'pray,' 'notice,' 'offer,' 'kingdom,' 'gates,' and 'open.'

"Finally, you must use materials that have a certain spirituality

quality to create a connection with the natural powers of the

incantation. This will allow you to construct a tunnel that connects to

the gates of the kingdom where the corresponding entity resides. If the

entity is interested, then your sacrifice is complete.

"This step isn't absolutely necessary. If you can make the corresponding

entity very interested in your sacrifice, then 'He' will open the gates

to 'His' kingdom for you after you finish reciting the incantations,

establishing a stable tunnel on 'His' own accord. Of course, this would

often imply danger as the orthodox result as relatively friendly hidden

gods rarely do this. Only evil gods or devils would reply to you

directly in order to achieve their goals."

*Materials that have spirituality are not cheap... I wonder if merely

reciting the incantations would allow me to open a sacrificial tunnel

similar to the Door of Summoning? I wonder if I could make use of the

abilities of the world above the gray fog... Yes, I'll try that first

and only get the materials with spirituality from the underground market

if I fail. Do I need Beyonder ingredients? It should be fine if it

possesses a certain amount of spirituality, right?* Klein

thought about the 300 pounds lying around in his anonymous account. He

also thought about the 10 plus pounds of savings that he had saved up.

Beyonder materials were not completely identical to materials that

possessed spirituality. For example, the heart that Hood Eugen left

behind was a Beyonder ingredient while the black scales were a material

possessing certain amounts of spirituality.

After he finished reading Mr. Azik's letter, Klein rubbed his fingers

together and ignited a flame of spirituality. He burned the paper to ash

and threw it into the rubbish bin.

It was already deep into the night and Klein was in no hurry to try the

ritual. He intended to first make a plan and go through everything that

he needed to take note of before putting it into practice.

He had a vague understanding of his shortcomings long ago. He was

cautious and rational when it came to things he made plans for, but once

the events deviated from his original plans, he would easily consider

only the good and disregard the bad when he was forced to be on his

toes.

A simpler description would be that a rash action of his would easily

cause him to court death... Klein extended his palm to cover his face.

The next day, Dunn Smith, who had communicated with the Mandated

Punishers and Machinery Hivemind, started to assign missions. Klein also

received his assignment. He was tasked to investigate a number of people

who had connections to Lanevus. But because of his suggestion and the

policy of the Nighthawks, he didn't have to be responsible for the

people he had met previously.

Of course, Klein continued with his combat lessons in the afternoon. Nor

did Dunn assign him the role of lead investigator.

Backlund, Hillston Backlund. In a building with a horse stable and

garden.

Qilangos, who had a unique wide chin and dark green eyes, looked at the

unconscious man before him. He took off the man's clothes and wore them.

He then leisurely walked in front of the dressing mirror and saw the

black glove on his left hand twitch. He saw many Contorted Lines

appearing on its back.

A few seconds later, Qilangos saw a thin veil of light envelop his

figure. His muscles, skin, and bones began undergoing a strange

transformation.

Sometime later, he transformed into the unconscious man, completely

identical in height, appearance, and demeanor!