Chapter 212: Avenger
In the northern part of the Loen Kingdom, the September breeze, that had
an additional coldness to it, howled through the cemetery. It was even
gloomier and colder than usual.
The cold jolted Klein back to his senses as he muttered with a rueful
smile, "It looks like there are still some secrets behind my
transmigration...
"But it seems like I'll only be able to resurrect another two times at
most, not any more... And if I were to minced up or completely crushed,
who knows if this recovery ability that doesn't usually appear would
even be useful..."
After half a minute, Klein buttoned his suit and realized that he was
wearing his newest shirt and tuxedo, but they were now covered in soil
and dirt.
...Benson and Melissa really have no idea how to save money...
The thought popped into his head. He supported his weight on his hand
and flipped up into a standing position, realizing that he still had his
Clown abilities.
*The best elder brother... The best younger brother... The best
colleague...* Klein looked at his tombstone and read the
inscription. He felt his heart wince, seemingly sensing the despondent
feelings Melissa and Benson had experienced.
*This is probably even more depressing than watching Captain die before
my eyes...* He sighed and retracted his gaze. He squatted down
and closed the coffin lid.
His thoughts were still scattered, but Klein knew that he had to take
care of the scene as soon as possible and not let anyone notice.
Resurrection wasn't something any commoner could accept!
If the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or the Machinery Hivemind learned
of this, Klein believed that he wouldn't have a great ending. Of course,
if it was on Earth, he could deceive the people into believing that he
was the blessed one of God, the man of salvation, had he consumed the
Lawyer or Swindler potions. However, in the world he was in, there was a
real god, a real god that could respond to rituals!
He scraped the soil back together and covered it with the stone slab.
Klein clapped his hands and stood up once again.
At that moment, the scene didn't appear strange. He was just like a
gentleman who came to offer his condolences late at night. The only
oddity was that the person in the photo on the tombstone looked exactly
like him.
During the process of filling his grave, his spirituality noticed the
existence of Azik's copper whistle. Hence, he dug it out and wiped it
clean.
However, Klein didn't intend to summon the messenger immediately. He
decided to figure out the situation first.
Klein lifted his left hand and saw the topaz pendant that was still
wrapped around his wrist.
"I guess this is considered a burial object?" He gave a self-deprecating
laugh and took off the pendulum. He looked around, and his face grew
solemn. "...Captain should be buried in this cemetery as well, I
guess..."
He changed directions twice and finally determined the location of
Dunn's tombstone using the pendulum.
With the moonlight's aid, Klein walked around and searched for about
fifteen minutes until he finally saw Captain's monochrome photo. It had
a gentle expression, high hairline, gray eyes---nothing unusual compared
to before.
Under Dunn's photo was his name, date of birth, date of death, and
epitaph.
The true guardian,
The most trusted partner,
The Captain forever.
Klein looked in stunned silence and somehow his sight grew blurry for
some baffling reason. He felt as though he had returned to that day
again. He saw the Captain turn his head to him and wink. He spoke with a
mellow and relaxed voice.
"We saved Tingen."
Captain... Klein shouted in silence.
He stood there like a statue for a good few minutes until he suddenly
said with a smile, "Captain, your mental state was definitely not the
best that day. You even said things like you could bring Old Neil into
the dreamland if he hadn't lost control. He was a Mystery Pryer, and
you're a Nightmare. You couldn't consume the Beyonder characteristic
that he left behind. Yes... You didn't ask me what powerful offensive
attacks I had. Was it trust, or did you forget about it... But, you
definitely guessed something... I only took one Sealed Artifact and said
it was for Leonard. Even without a brain, you could've guessed that I
had the extra means for a powerful attack."
Having said that, Klein paused, then he shook his head and sighed.
"I have no idea what I am now. Maybe I'm just an evil spirit that has
clawed its way back from hell to seek revenge..."
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped. His tears streamed down his cheeks and
finally, he shouted softly with a choking voice, "Captain... We miss you
too!"
Klein felt the cold breeze blow past him as he lifted his hands to wipe
his tears and blow his nose.
He became silent again and found a hidden spot nearby. He took four
steps counterclockwise and entered the world above the gray fog.
He wanted to find the person that killed him with the aid of divination.
He wanted to know the murderer who triggered all of this!
*As he's already appeared before me, I'm sure that I can divine some
information...* Klein pursed his lips tightly together and saw
the lofty palace and ancient mottled table as usual.
He took the seat that belonged to The Fool. A yellowish-brown goatskin
and fountain pen appeared before him.
Since his physical body in reality was under limited protection, Klein
didn't delay and wrote down his divination statement after a moment's
thought.
"The person who killed me."
He recited it seven times and leaned back into the chair. He entered his
dream with the aid of Cogitation.
In the blurry world, there were countless points of light dancing and
gathering. In the end, they formed a scene.
A pair of brand new leather boots, a pair of slightly pale hands, and
the Saint Selena's urn that was held by those hands.
He looked up, and Klein saw a middle-aged man with short, dark blond
hair.
He wore a black two-button suit, and one of his eyes was obviously blind
while the other one was so blue that it was almost black. His facial
features were like carvings, and his face had no wrinkles at all.
The image shattered and Klein woke up from his dream. His eyebrows were
tightly knitted. He found his murderer very familiar.
As a Seer, he quickly understood why he found the person familiar. It
was because he had seen the man's photo on a wanted notice!
The murderer was Ince Zangwill! He was the former Archbishop of the
Church of Evernight who took Sealed Artifact 0-08. He had failed to
advance as a Gatekeeper!
"It's him!" Countless images flashed through Klein's head, and they
finally stopped on the scene when Ince Zangwill picked up Saint Selena's
urn.
Tap. Tap. Tap. Klein extended his hands and rapped the edge of
the long bronze table. He felt that he suddenly understood many things.
"The Captain said that a Beyonder that dies normally would leave behind
a Beyonder characteristic. When gathered together, they're equivalent to
a potion that lacks the supplementary ingredients.
"In other words, as long as one knows the corresponding supplementary
ingredients, they can advance using "remains". Of course, one cannot
consume beyond their level, as it would easily lead to a loss of control
or going insane.
"Hmm... Becoming a High-Sequence Beyonder would require the
accompaniment of some special ritual. That was mentioned in the
incomplete Unshadowed formula... The subsequent advancements would
require a ritual as well...
"Ince Zangwill is a Gatekeeper, a Sequence 5 from the Death Sequence
pathway. He wanted to become a High-Sequence Beyonder, a Demigod. Based
on the situation allowed by the exchanging of Sequences, he had three
choices. One was obviously Sequence 4 in the Death Sequence pathway,
second was Sequence 4 in the Sleepless Sequence pathway; and third was
Sequence 4 in the God of Combat Sequence pathway, Demon Hunter.
"Saint Selena was a Saint. She was either Sequence 4 or Sequence 3. Her
urn corresponds to one of the two Sequence potions... Ince Zangwill, who
was a former Archbishop, definitely knew exactly which one she was, and
he definitely knew the required supplementary ingredients...
"Was his true motive in planning all of this to get Saint Selena's ashes
and advance to Sequence 4 in the Sleepless pathway?
"Hmm, the skull of Death's descendant, that might be an ingredient
needed for the special ritual. It was from the Death Sequence pathway,
after all.
"From the looks of it, his target was the Captain, and not me. He really
was the mastermind behind all this..."
Having figured this out, Klein wrote down a corresponding divination
statement. He took his pendulum and let the topaz hang above the surface
of the paper.
After he recited the statement, he opened his eyes and saw the topaz
pendant spinning clockwise.
It meant that the information he provided was sufficient, and the
divination was successful!
It meant that Ince Zangwill had really plotted the series of events in
order to get Saint Selena's ashes, to advance to Sequence 4!
Klein rapped on the edge of the table again as he mulled over a
different question.
"Ince Zangwill was merely a Sequence 5 Gatekeeper. Relying on him alone,
would make it impossible for him to create so many coincidences. For
instance, for Megose to follow his "arrangements" and visit the
Nighthawks at the correct time.
"So, is it the power of Sealed Artifact 0-08?
"Its appearance is that of an ordinary quill... Its function is to write
down events that are bound to happen?
"No, it couldn't be that easy... Otherwise, Ince Zangwill could write
that Saint Selena's urn grew a pair of wings and flew into his hands.
Then, he could've just waited at home...
"There must be certain restrictions...
"0-08 most likely doesn't possess direct combat ability. Otherwise, Ince
Zangwill could've stormed through Chanis Gate in Tingen...
"As one of the most dangerous Sealed Artifacts, perhaps it can let
people act according to its description without realizing it? That was
the reason behind all the coincidences?
"If that's really true, then 0-08 is quite terrifying. Even Megose who
was pregnant with the son of an evil god adhered to its arrangements...
No wonder Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are 'Extremely Dangerous.' They're of
the highest importance and of the highest confidentiality. They're not
to be inquired, disseminated, described, or spied..."
Klein stopped rapping the edge of the table. He divined his earlier
guess, but, unfortunately, it failed due to a lack of information.
He saw that a few minutes had passed, and he planned to return to the
real world as soon as possible. Hence, he didn't let his thoughts run
wild but wrote down the penultimate divination statement.
"The city where Ince Zangwill currently is."
Due to the existence of Sealed Artifact 0-08 and the fact that Ince
Zangwill had likely become a Demigod, Klein couldn't divine his exact
location directly. He could only make a rough inquiry of the general
area.
Of course, if there wasn't a mysterious space like the world above the
gray fog to eliminate disturbances, he would definitely fail in
divination, even if it was a rough inquiry.
He leaned against the high-back chair and recited the divination
statement seven times. He dreamed again and entered the blurry world.
The blurry world suddenly cracked, and there was a wide river which was
slightly murky.
There was a grand bridge above the river. Both banks had ports lined one
after another. There were many goods and many workers.
To the northeast of the river, there were rows upon rows of houses. Most
of them had the Loen Kingdom's present-day architectural styles, such as
polygenic roofs, oriel windows, and no verandah by the street. Other
than that, there was a lot of Gothic architecture.
The streets were filled with people and carriages. From time to time,
strange machinery could be seen.
The farther east he went, the more chimneys there were and the smokier
it got. When he headed west, the elevation rose, and there were houses
in grayish-blue, beige, and light yellow that spiraled up opulent
castles and Gothic clock towers.
Gong!
The chime of a clock sounded and snapped Klein back to his senses. He
knew which city he had seen.
The "Land of Hope," and the "Capital of Capitals," Backlund!