Chapter 364: Cathedral of Serenity

What about the rest of the Magician's principles? As Klein

idly leafed through the newspaper he had finished reading, he thought

about the issues that mattered most to him.

He had already considered one point before, and that was the difference

between having an audience to cheer for him and not having one. However,

just this alone didn't seem sufficient.

With this thought, Klein's thoughts ran wild as he inexplicably thought

of something.

*When I was still a Seer, being recognized and praised as a true

fortune-teller would give me a feeling that the process of digesting the

potion had become faster. After I concluded the Seer principles, I began

to believe that there was no direct correlation between the views and

feedback from others and that they were merely expressions, nothing

substantial. If I act well enough, I would naturally be acknowledged,

and my digestion would naturally be faster.*

*That is to say, I had always believed that they were two different

responses with the same gains, and not something related to

causality.*

*But now, there's the "choice" of receiving an audience's applause... If

it does help me digest the potion, does it mean that some performances

really require feedback, and the way that others view me can subtly

affect the progress of my potion's digestion?*

*Hmm, by extension, would the establishment of the Churches by the seven

orthodox gods, the spreading of their faith, and the nurturing of their

followers partially be a result of this?*

*...This is truly a sacrilegious thought. I am indeed not a person who

sincerely worships gods. I will praise them, but I won't blindly believe

in them...* Klein quickly adjusted his train of thought as he

searched for another angle of attack.

He repeatedly compared the subtle differences between Seer, Clown, and

Magician. Gradually, he came up with an idea.

*In comparison, does a Magician, who needs to perform, possess the need

to take the "initiative?"*

*Taking the initiative to perform instead of being passive like a Seer

or Clown?*

*From the perspective of fate, it also fits. From a Seer's reverence of

fate, a Clown's characteristic of being teased by fate while still

maintaining a smile, and finally a Magician who takes the initiative to

challenge fate. Even if the result is nothing real or substantial, he

will still receive the audience's applause from his

deception...*

Klein nodded indiscernibly as he planned to make attempts in taking the

initiative to perform.

*Where should I start? It should be something relatively less dangerous.

Uh, I can consider the imprisonment of that vampire named Emlyn White by

Father Utravsky...*

*However, I need to confirm that this group of nonhumans abide by the

law and only engage in petty theft at the worst... Where do Emlyn's

companions stay on the southern side of the bridge? I can't really

remember. I'll have to use divination to jog my memories. Hmm, I'll also

confirm how dangerous it is...*

Having come to this conclusion, Klein put down the newspaper, got up,

and went upstairs.

It had to be said that he didn't have any other motivation to actively

involve himself in something that had almost nothing to do with him. It

wasn't his personality, but in order to act, he had to force himself to

do so.

*This is considered rather simple for me. How would a straight male act

as a Witch and Demoness of Pleasure? It's no wonder the City of Silver

emphasizes that "you're only acting"...* Klein suddenly

understood the meaning of the admonition.

City of Silver, in a dark room at the top of the spire.

Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad, stood in front of a

window, staring at the silver city which was shrouded in darkness and

lightning.

Those beams of light illuminated his disheveled white hair, revealing

his twisted and hideous old scars on his face, as well as the deep

wrinkles on his face and his worried eyes.

After an unknown period of time, Colin turned and looked at a dark

corner. He asked in a deep voice, "Find anything?"

In the corner, a shadow stood up. It was pitch black as it shot towards

the wall, twisting and whirling.

Its voice carried the feeling of metal rubbing against metal, and it was

rather jarring to the ears.

"After Derrick Berg returned home, he showed some signs of abnormality,

but there was no immediate need to deal with it."

Colin nodded slightly and said, "What did he do?"

With the help of the mystical item at the bottom of the spire, the

Rampager and the clone of the mysterious figure were eliminated.

However, he had constantly suspected that the matter had not been

completely resolved.

The former captain of the exploratory team suddenly lost control. The

mysterious person recklessly took action after enduring for a full

forty-two years, without any consideration for the traps or the

consequences... All of this made Colin, who had killed and hunted many

monsters, instinctively feel that something was amiss.

Therefore, he believed that this was a deliberate choice made by the

mysterious man. Although the real purpose of the mysterious man was

still unknown, he definitely had some sort of follow-up method, and it

wouldn't be so simple to get rid of him.

After using his Demon Hunter powers and finding no abnormalities, he

deliberately pretended to be deceived and directly permitted the youth

named Derrick Berg to return home. However, he had secretly sent someone

to monitor the situation closely.

This was completely different from the detention and observation method

which Colin had used in the past. It was a change he had no choice but

to make.

The black shadow that was slightly gyrating replied, "After he entered

the room, he sat on the edge of the bed and muttered to himself for

quite a while. As I was afraid that the mysterious man would discover

me, I didn't get too close, so I couldn't clearly hear what was being

said. However, I can confirm that this is an abnormal sign.

"After talking to himself, Derrick seemed to become very tired and fell

asleep very quickly. But after a short nap, he suddenly woke up and

conducted a ritual. I suspect that his mind wasn't lucid while doing so

and that he was controlled by the mysterious man.

"By the way, the ritual had elements of a secret deed."

Colin pondered for a while and said with a solemn expression, "As

expected... Perhaps he was communicating with his main body via this

method.

"What exactly is his purpose? Why did he spend his forty-two years at

the bottom of the spire in peace?"

The black shadow naturally couldn't answer this question as it

continued, "After the ritual, Derrick no longer showed any abnormal

behavior.

"Does this matter need to be dealt with immediately? If that mysterious

person's main body is attracted here, we might not be able to deal with

him."

Colin remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Continue the

observation. That mysterious person has yet to show any substantial

malice, so our reaction can't be too intense.

"Sigh, do you remember that prophecy? It's almost time for disaster to

befall... The further we explore, the more strange ruins we find, and

the more dangerous the items we harvest..."

"By your will, Your Excellency." The black shadow slowly retreated back

into the ground and disappeared.

At this moment, in the Berg household, Derrick began to cough so

violently that his heart seemed to almost burst.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

He crouched down and coughed nonstop until his throat began to itch, and

he coughed out something!

Splat! A translucent object slid across his throat and fell to

the ground. It was a worm with the length and thickness of a finger!

There were some transparent areas on its body, forming rings.

Derrick had seen something like this at the bottom of the spire

previously, and he was certain that he was already free of Amon's

influence.

He bent down and picked up the translucent worm, and finally, he was

able to count the total number of rings on its body. There were a total

of twelve.

*What is its use? What can it be used for? It seems to be

dead...* Derrick lost himself in thought.

Winter County in the northern part of the Loen Kingdom.

A black Gothic cathedral towered over the snow-covered mountains as it

occupied a vast stretch of land.

In front of it was a cliff, and its surroundings was a vast expanse of

whiteness with utmost silence.

This was the Church of Evernight's headquarters, known as the Cathedral

of Serenity.

The dark-haired, green-eyed Leonard Mitchell had a black trench coat

draped over him as he wore red gloves and walked out of his room.

Having successfully advanced and stabilized himself, he hadn't been

given the opportunity to participate in any operations yet, as well as

some exercises and so-called mysticism courses.

After going around a corner, Leonard saw a staircase leading down.

There, he saw Captain Dunn Smith, with a pair of dark gray eyes and

dressed in a black trench coat, and Klein Moretti, who exuded a bookish

demeanor standing there, smiling and waiting.

He tilted his head back and sighed.

My memory has also gotten worse.

I've already forgotten that the two of you no longer exist...

Leonard looked away and walked down the stairs to the first floor of the

cathedral. He knocked on the door and entered a small room.

There were chairs in the room, and some Nighthawks wearing red gloves

sat around inside.

Leonard found a seat at random and sat down, smiling as he chatted with

his friends.

After a while, the high-ranking deacon, Crestet Cesimir, with his

propped up collar covering his chin and lips, walked in, sat right in

front, and said to the crowd, "Today's class will inform you of things

you need to pay attention to.

"As Red Gloves, you will travel to different places, and there's a high

chance of encountering dangerous High-Sequence Beyonders.

"If their intent is obvious, and they want to kill you, the only thing

you can do is leave a trail behind you so that the subsequent

investigators will be able to find the appropriate clues. The exact

methods include...

"But most of the time, High-Sequence Beyonders won't always attack you

directly. They will utilize you based on all sorts of factors.

"You must be alert enough to not be fooled, and here are a few things

that we have summarized.

Sitting in the back, Leonard listened with a smile and great

attentiveness. His target for revenge was a High-Sequence Beyonder!

Cesimir paused for two seconds and continued, "In the first case, some

High-Sequence Beyonder will pretend to be hidden existences, using

promises and hope to deceive you into reciting his corresponding

description.

"In the second case, some High-Sequence Beyonders might be restrained in

a sealed state. They will act as mystical items that can help you get

out of your predicament. For example, a magic lamp that can grant you

three wishes or a wishing pond.

"The third case is for a High-Sequence potion named 'Parasite.' They

often claim that they have lost their bodies and can only survive

together with your Spirit Body. They can only rely on you and will not

harm you. They will then give you knowledge, formulas, and all sorts of

benefits, hoping that you can become powerful so that you can one day

help him reconstruct his body or take revenge.

"In reality, the Beyonders with Parasites will only become nutrients for

the Parasite; thus prolonging the Parasite's lifespan and condition."

As Leonard listened, his smile faded.