Chapter 481: Statistics and People

In a small town on the outskirts of Backlund.

After changing into clean and dry clothes, Klein placed the wet bills on

the surface of the table, one by one, waiting for them to dry naturally

in the warm room.

During this process, he moved very carefully and very gently. Even his

sneezing and coughing which were brought by the fever had been

forcefully suppressed.

To make sure there were no mistakes, he didn't dry them by controlling a

flame.

Having done all this, he walked to the corner of the hotel room, where

there was a full-length mirror.

Klein's black hair was neatly combed in the mirror. He had a pair of

dark brown eyes, and his face was thin and angular.

He had gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose and was beardless.

He looked young but also experienced.

This was a modification of Zhou Mingrui's appearance, with the traits of

a native from the Northern Continent. Moreover, this was his youthful

appearance during university when he was filled with vigor, one that had

yet to be made fat by society.

He intended to go back to Backlund when things have settled down a

little, and then he would get himself a legal identity for his current

appearance. Compared to when he left Tingen, he had no shortage of

appropriate channels. For example, he had Ian at the Bravehearts Bar,

Miss Sharron's circle, and Detective Isengard Stanton.

How nostalgic... Klein whispered. He busied himself with a

ritual in the room where the curtains had been drawn. He planned to

bring Creeping Hunger above the gray fog to study it safely.

Inside the silent, ancient palace, he appeared at the very end of the

long bronze table, leaning back in his chair while holding a pair of

thin gloves made of human skin.

Immediately after, he closed his eyes and extended his spirituality into

the object that required sealing.

He immediately felt the hunger of the glove. It was as if it had a

stomach that could never be filled, but above the gray fog, it was so

tame that it didn't dare let out even the slightest bit of malice. It

was like a hunting dog lying there, not daring to move at all.

Then, Klein heard cries of indignation and groans of pain.

Many distorted, hideous, and grieving faces appeared in his spiritual

perception, brimming with unspeakable melancholy and madness.

These faces were deeply fused with the Beyonder characteristics of

different colors and different states. Wherever Klein's spirituality

spread, it would combine with the corresponding faces and use the powers

it had.

This is the way to use it? Together with the help of

divination, Klein made one attempt after another and figured out what

the five souls that the Creeping Hunger could use for Grazing.

The first was Faceless, but it only had the powers to change his

appearance and build.

The second was Psychiatrist. He could make a target fall into a frenzied

state, place a certain amount of psychological cues; and could simulate

a dragon's might, intimidating individuals and groups, and creating

chaos.

The third was Interrogator. It allowed the wearer of the glove to be

proficient in the use of all kinds of weapons, become a demolition

expert, possess the ability to focus his mind, and have the ability to

pierce a target's Spirit Body.

The fourth was Nightmare. There was only one power, which was to drag

someone into a dream without being detected. However, it was unlike a

Beyonder of the corresponding Sequence. It was accomplished by Creeping

Hunger, so the wearer could still move their bodies after entering a

Nightmare state.

The fifth was Priest of Light. It allowed him to produce a halo-like

effect, purifying all undead and foul creatures within a certain range.

At the same time, he also had the singing ability of a Bard which could

strengthen his companions, as well as summon the Light of Holiness which

was weaker than Flaring Sun.

*The limit is five souls, and the powers are fixed when "Grazing" for

the first time... This isn't something I can decide for myself. It's

purely based on luck; maybe there can be three or just one...*

Klein thoughtfully nodded, sighed, and said to the suffering souls, "No

matter what kind of people you were in the past, I will gradually free

you from your imprisonment to acquire complete deliverance.

"In the future, the souls I graze will only come from people who have

committed heinous and unforgivable crimes. For every such Beyonder I

kill, I'll replace one of you and release you, regardless of whether I

need their powers or not."

His solemn but gentle voice echoed within the ancient palace. The

wailing souls quieted down, no longer writhing in a hideous fashion.

Phew... Klein exhaled, opened his eyes, tapped the edge of the

ancient table with his fingers, and said to himself, *That Faceless's

powers overlap with mine, so it's completely useless. Once I have

something to replace it with, I'll release him first. Yes, when the time

comes, I can attempt to channel his spirit and converse with him.

Perhaps I might receive information regarding the high Sequences of the

Seer pathway, as well as clues to the whereabouts of mermaids... No,

there's no need to wait for a replacement. In a few days, I can make the

attempt when I fully recover from my cold...*

*The soul corresponding to the Priest of Light should be able to

complete the incomplete formulas I previously obtained. Furthermore,

he'll leave behind the corresponding Beyonder characteristic. That way,

Little Sun doesn't need to worry about his subsequent advancements. Yes,

he will be the second to be released...*

*As for me needing to feed a human's soul and flesh to Creeping Hunger

every time it's used, that's not something I need to pay attention to. I

usually wouldn't use it anyway. When using it, I'll definitely be facing

a terrifying enemy. In such a battle, there's no lack of lives to cull.

Even if there isn't, I can throw Creeping Hunger above the gray fog and

not be worried about it's backlash, nor do I need to be afraid of

harming the innocent. The worst outcome would it becoming

unusable...*

Putting his thoughts away, Klein tried to use the mystical item,

Creeping Hunger, to divine the formula for the Shepherd potion but ended

up failing.

He didn't divine the origins of Creeping Hunger, afraid that he would

provoke an unfriendly existence.

Although he wasn't afraid of endangering himself due to the gray fog's

isolation and obstruction, doing so could likely damage Creeping Hunger.

I'll consider trying that out when I no longer need it...

Klein leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table.

He quickly recalled the previous matters and keenly noticed a detail.

*After the Master Key was obliterated, its Beyonder characteristic

didn't disappear. Instead, it became dots of light, trying hard to

converge...*

*It can be assumed that the Apprentice characteristic that's formed in

the end will no longer contain Mr. Door's roars.*

*In other words, such a method can be used to rid the mental corruption

inside a Beyonder characteristic!*

*But the underlying problem is that there's no way to destroy a Beyonder

characteristic which has solidified into an item under normal

circumstances. Back then, I was relying on a ritual that could allow a

true god to descend. It needed the prerequisite of a large number of

innocent lives...*

*Also, once the All-Black Eye is shattered, the True Creator's mental

corruption that's hidden within will definitely erupt. When that

happens, who can withstand it? Do it above the gray fog?*

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Klein remembered what could've

happened at East Borough. He hurriedly conjured a pen and paper to make

the appropriate divination.

After receiving the revelation, his expression sank, and slowly, he

leaned back in his chair.

Below him, the endless gray fog floated in silence in a seemingly

eternal unchanging fashion.

Audrey stood by the window, looking at the fog mixed with pale yellow

and iron-black colors rapidly disperse. When she saw the heavy rain that

was incompatible with winter, her heart felt more at ease.

After an unknown period of time, she and Susie waited for Earl Hall's

eventual return home.

"Father, how is it?" Audrey asked with concern.

Earl Hall smiled warmly as he handed his coat and hat to an attendant.

"It's resolved, but the exact details are still unclear. My little

princess, you've really helped me greatly this time. You deserve a ton

of medals!"

*That's good, that's good... Thanks to Mr. Fool's reminder, thanks to

the risky investigation of "His" Blessed... Our Tarot Club has once

again stopped the descent of an evil god and saved the world!*

Audrey's heart was filled with pride.

Earl Hall took the towel from the maidservant's hands, wiped his face,

and sighed.

"However, this time, there were still some serious casualties. To think

that Backlund's smog could become so deadly... Although the statistics

haven't been tabulated, I estimate that more than ten thousand people

died in East Borough, the dock area, and the factory district.

Furthermore, the plague is still spreading, so please try not to leave

the house for the time being."

More than ten thousand people? That was a statistic Audrey

could understand but couldn't imagine. Only on the anniversary of the

kingdom's founding and during the parade, would she be able to see tens

of thousands of people gathered together.

However, this didn't stop her heart from feeling heavy as her mood

suddenly turned gloomy.

Daisy stood outside her apartment, watching the doctors and nurses in

white coats and masks enter and carry out the bodies.

She had long known the outcome. Her expression was numb and her eyes

vacant. She subconsciously moved closer to the door.

At this moment, the police officer in charge of the cordon stopped her.

"Don't go over. Do you want to be infected with the plague?"

Daisy stood there as she watched the two bodies being carried out. She

saw her mother, Liv, hugging her sister, Freja, tightly. They were

carried to a cargo carriage that was wrapped in black cloth and

temporarily requisitioned. She then watched as they disappeared in front

of her eyes as a white cloth covered them.

The carriage slowly moved towards the other end of the street.

At that moment, Daisy seemed to wake up from a dream. She turned around

and ran at full speed, chasing after the carriage.

The ground was abnormally muddy after the rain. She fell and got up

several times, leaving her body covered in dirt.

However, she was still unable to catch up with the carriage and could

only watch it disappear around the corner.

Daisy slowed her pace, her body swaying slightly as her expression

turned abnormally vacant.

She held onto the trees by the street and stared at the place where the

carriage had left.

Suddenly, her entire body went limp, and she started weeping.

"Mother...

"Freja..."

The voice was soft, low, sharp, weak, and lingered.

At this moment, in East Borough, the dock area, and the factory

district, tens of thousands of people were similarly crying out in

grief.

Empress Borough, Sodela Palace.

Wearing a crown above his resolute face and thin mustache, George III

sat on the throne. He stared at the earl palatine in front of him

without saying a word.

"Your Majesty, the people from the three churches are waiting outside

for your explanation," the earl palatine asked as sweat dripped down his

forehead.

"Explanation? Prince Edessak was seduced by a Demoness, causing him to

collude with a cult and attempt to rebel. That is the explanation! His

schemes were exposed, and he has already committed suicide. What other

explanations do they need!?" George III suddenly flew into a rage.

He took a deep breath and regained his usual solemnity.

"You tell them that anyone who obtains the corresponding aristocratic

title via any means can get a seat in the House of Lords. The property

restrictions needed for elections will be relaxed, and the invalid

constituencies will be removed. This is to appease the factory owners

and bankers.

"Similarly, the National Atmospheric Pollution Council will immediately

make their final statement. The relevant bill will soon be passed, and

the minimum safeguards and working hours will appear in the form of a

law!

"The Poor Law shall be reformed in accordance with their requests... The

Three Churches are permitted to send their personnel into the military!"

"Your Majesty..." The earl palatine was startled.

Such a concession was beyond his imagination, especially the last one.

George III flared up again.

"Tell them this! Since they want a new order, I will give them a new

order!"

"Yes, Your Majesty." The earl palatine didn't dare say anything further

and left the palace.

George III sat there, unmoving for a long time as though he was a stone

statue.

After an unknown period of time, his expression suddenly turned gentle.