Chapter 431: A Drowning Man Shouldn't Desperately Clutch at Straws

Upon hearing Klein's question, Emlyn White jumped in fright as he

carefully sized him up and said, "You're richer than I thought."

He had imagined that Sherlock Moriarty would take at least a week to

raise 2,450 pounds.

"I've been saving for a long time." Klein sighed in response.

Emlyn nodded thoughtfully.

"It's so lucrative being a private detective?"

"This is just an identity that makes things convenient. If you don't

encounter a huge bounty, it'll be two to three hundred pounds a year,"

Klein said frankly.

Emlyn glanced at him and asked casually, "So what do you actually do?

Smuggling arms? Stealing from the vaults of the rich and powerful? For

Beyonders below Sequence 7, there's not much that can be done to save up

more than 2,000 pounds so quickly, and most of them are gray areas that

border on breaking the law."

*You, a vampire, are talking to me about breaking the law? It seems like

you're rather eager to make some quick money...* Klein smiled.

"Accept some relatively dangerous missions; if you aren't afraid of

death, you can try."

Emlyn shut his mouth, and only after a long time did he say, "Come and

find me in the evening. I'll take you to the seller's place."

What an obedient vampire... Klein was about to agree, but he

suddenly found it unsafe.

*What if the seller gets thoughts from seeing all the money? What if he

doesn't have the corresponding Beyonder ingredients and is trying to

fool me to commit a robbery? Emlyn White can be trusted, but not

necessarily the seller he's introducing... I have to find an excuse to

perform a divination above the gray fog to confirm the degree of

danger... Yes, there's no need for it to be so complicated. There's a

better way...* After some thought, Klein turned his head to look

at Emlyn.

"No, go by yourself.

"I'll give you 1,000 pounds as a deposit, and you'll bring the two

ingredients to the Harvest Church. After confirmation, I'll pay the

remaining balance. I believe the seller will accept this method. This

will show the credit of a noble Sanguine."

Upon being flattered, Emlyn unconsciously lifted his chin.

"There's no problem with this way of trading."

Saying that, he let out a laugh.

"Are you afraid that the other party will not keep their word? Are you

more at ease in the Harvest Church?"

"Of course, anyone would feel safe when they see a Earth Mother Blessed

by the side, who is over 2.2 meters tall and has exceptionally firm

muscles." Klein smiled and pointed at Father Utravsky. "People who can

deal with him wouldn't mind two to three thousand pounds."

Emlyn's face darkened, and he snorted.

"Aren't you worried that I'll steal the thousand-pound deposit?"

Klein casually looked straight ahead.

"Why should I be worried?

"You will come back here every day, making it easy to find you, and a

living creature like a vampire would sell for more than a thousand

pounds."

Emlyn, who had been hit in a sore spot, muttered in exasperation,

"Sanguine! Do you understand? Sanguine!

"Also, don't call me a creature!"

Klein chuckled and didn't say anything as he waited for Emlyn to calm

down.

"We'll do it the way you requested." Finally, Emlyn reached out and

rubbed his temples.

Klein immediately took out the envelope he had received that morning,

and he handed it to him along with the thick stack of cash worth a

thousand pounds.

"See you here at eight tonight."

After counting the bills and after confirming that there was no mistake,

Emlyn warily stole a glance at Father Utravsky and said in a low voice,

"Mr. Private Detective, with you being in contact with a lot of

intelligence and news, have you heard of an evil god known as The Fool?"

Evil?... Evil? You f... Inwardly, Klein nearly threw out a

profanity.

He answered with the most normal expression, "Many people are searching

for believers of The Fool recently. Are you planning on joining their

ranks to obtain the relevant bounty?"

Emlyn sighed and said, "No, I'm only considering whether I should ask

this evil god or the evil soul to help me dispel the psychological cue.

As you know, the rumors going around include "His" specific honorific

name, and as long as it's converted into Hermes or ancient Hermes, it's

possible to get a response... What do you know about "Him"? How much

harm will "He" bring to "His" believers? Will "He" forcefully change the

believers' views?"

*Although it points to me, I still have to say. My dear vampire friend,

you are like a drowning man desperately clutching at straws...*

Feeling mixed emotions, Klein said, "The Fool is very mysterious. Up to

this day, apart from the news you already know, no one knows of 'His'

detailed situation. For example, how vast his clergy is, or what sort of

corresponding prayer rituals there are.

"What puzzles me is that you aren't considering the two of your

vamp---Uh, Sanguine's ancestor, the ancient goddess Lilith? As long as

the ritual is correct and the offerings are appropriate, 'She' will help

you dispel the psychological cue."

Emlyn leaned back slightly and stared straight ahead, saying nothing for

several seconds.

He seemed to instantly become sullen.

After a brief moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Before the

Cataclysm, the ancestor had already rarely responded to prayers. Only

certain special circumstances allowed us to get 'Her' help. This does

not include the removal of a psychological cue."

*In the legends of the City of Silver, the ancient goddess, Lilith, who

represented the moon had already had her authority taken back by the

awakened Creator, or perhaps she had fallen in some battle among the

gods earlier on... Then, who is the one occasionally responding to the

Sanguines' pleas? The Primordial Moon?* Klein deliberately

pressed, "Then, there's still the Primordial Moon to pray to. Many

underground Beyonders have rituals that borrow 'His' power."

*This is mainly referring to the Shaman King and the corresponding

biological creatures...* Klein added inwardly.

Emlyn's lips quivered, but he didn't speak as there was an indescribable

fear on his face.

After a long time, he solemnly said, "I suspect that the Primordial Moon

was impersonated by some evil god or a high-level devil. People who pray

to 'Him' mostly experience change, turning cruel, crazy, and even filled

with desire. And the remaining ones, with the Sanguine mainly, there is

a higher chance of them losing control and becoming true monsters.

"There was once a powerful Sanguine that tried to pray due to some

danger, but she ended up turning into nothing but a hunk of meat that

only knows to mate and reproduce. She, together with bulls, rams,

stallions, mice, and even plants and rocks, gave birth to one strange

descendant after another. Each one of them developed their own Monster

species. Thankfully, she was quickly eliminated along with her

descendants.

*...The Primordial Moon is that dangerous? There was no mention of it in

the Book of Secrets. Had Shaman King Klarman's thoughts been corrupted?

Fortunately, I only referenced, modified, and prayed to

myself...* Klein's heart raced in fright as a result of Emlyn

White's description.

This made him acutely realize that the hidden existences other than the

seven deities were indeed not that trustworthy.

Except me... He sighed.

At that moment, Emlyn smiled bitterly and said, "If the negative effects

brought by The Fool isn't that great, praying to 'Him' might be

something to consider."

*The only effect is that you will pay a certain amount of money for

it...* In order to maintain his image, Klein could only pat

Emlyn on the shoulder and draw a triangular Sacred Emblem on his chest.

"It's very dangerous to pray to a hidden existence that you don't know

about. If you're considering that, you might as well choose a faith out

of the seven deities you prefer. They won't affect your daily life and

won't make you abandon your dolls."

"If there's really no other way..." Emlyn suddenly found himself calmer

than he had expected.

Klein didn't linger on. He pushed his way out into the aisle and walked

out of the Harvest Church.

Looking out at the misty sky, he began to think about what to do next.

There was no doubt that his current focus was on saving money and

finding the ingredients.

*Little Sun's side needs to stabilize a little more. To prevent him from

being suspected again, I'll use the method of ridding a Rampager's

mental corruption as the promised payment... The Deep-sea Naga's hair

can be entrusted to Mr. Hanged Man. I'll have to rely on myself for the

Human-skinned Shadow's characteristic... There hasn't been any relevant

information from Emlyn White and Eye of Wisdom, Mr. Stanton, for over a

month. I'll have to try different channels... Yes, it's been quite long.

It's likely that the High-Sequence Beyonder of the Rose School of

Thought isn't monitoring the Bravehearts Bar that closely. I'll go visit

it in the evening and see if I can contact Miss Sharron and

Maric...* Klein quickly had an idea.

In order to go to Bravehearts Bar, he had to first go to East Borough

and change his worker's clothes in the one-bedroom apartment he also

rented on Black Palm Street.

As he thought of this, he walked towards the carriage stop on the

opposite side of the road.

West Borough, inside Grimm Cemetery.

Fors Wall, who was dressed in a black veiled hat, quietly walked beside

Dorian Gray, a member of the Abraham family. She had accompanied him to

place flowers on Lawrence, Aulisa, and company's graves.

While walking silently, her thoughts were completely focused on the

Beyonder ingredient, the Spirit Eater's stomach pouch.

She knew that she had already digested the Apprentice potion and as long

as she could get the Spirit Eater's stomach pouch, she would become a

Trickmaster. However, she ultimately lacked the clues related to it, and

The Sun, that she had the most expectations at being able to help her,

didn't dare to hold a ritual or invite friends to hunt Spirit Eaters

because of what had happened before.

In order to advance as quickly as possible and escape the curse of the

full moon, she had even asked Mr. Fool for help, hoping that "His"

Blessed could help her find the ingredients. In the process, she

revealed that she had published her new book and was about to receive a

fixed fee for the book, in order to prove that she had sufficient power

to purchase it---she didn't fear that her real identity would be known

by Mr. Fool, because she believed that Mr. Fool clearly knew it.

In the secluded, quiet, and cold environment, Fors and Dorian stopped at

Lawrence's grave.

Looking at the photo taken after his death and reading the epitaph:

"he's a good teacher," Dorian Gray remained silent for a long time

before sighing.

"How ironic..."

"Why?" Fors asked in surprise.

She had heard Lawrence mention that he was a public school teacher in

Constant City, Midseashire, and that was why she had used such an

epitaph.

"This has nothing to do with you. It has to do with our family." Dorian

gave a self-deprecating laugh and bent down to put down the flowers.

After straightening his body, he looked straight ahead, and suddenly

spoke out, "Fors, do you want to become a Beyonder? The kind I described

in my letter."