Chapter 697: Story's Progress

*Everyone can understand each other regardless of the language

used?* Klein skipped over Edwina's first sentence and focused

his attention on the second sentence that didn't seem too problematic.

Although this was the book world created by Groselle's Travels,

everything was possible, but there were certain details that still

revealed problems.

To Klein, he wasn't too caught up with how they could understand each

other, but the kind of method that resulted in the comprehension.

*This world incorporates something akin to the rule of language

comprehension, or does it have a consciousness residing high above

everyone else, helping in the real-time translation work, just like what

I do at the Tarot Gatherings? If it were the former, targets who don't

understand Jotun will only hear an unfamiliar language, but they would

understand the meaning. If it were the latter, it will be them hearing a

language they're familiar with...* As he knew many ancient and

supernatural languages, Klein was unable to figure out the situation

immediately. He slowed down his footsteps and walked alongside Danitz.

He asked while suppressing his voice, "Can you tell what language

Groselle was using when he was speaking?"

Danitz was taken aback for a second. He recalled and said, "It's a

language which sounds a little familiar yet unfamiliar, but I was able

to understand everything."

The supernatural languages he knew were ancient Hermes, followed by

Elvish. He was only a beginner in Jotun.

*Yes, it's something like the rule of language comprehension... It's

comprehension at the level of the mind... This means that the entire

book world's fundamental rules can be different from the outside world.

It's a setting that it comes with, but the changes don't seem capable of

exceeding certain limits. This point remains suspect and requires

verification. After all, I can't eliminate the existence of someone like

The Fool, someone who completely interprets the communication via the

mind... Edwina is indeed sharp and good at observing. The problem she

discovered leads straight to this book world's essence...*

Amidst his thoughts, Klein unhurriedly entered the huge, dark cave.

As for the history described by the members of the main lead's team, he

wasn't the least bit surprised. He even looked forward to hearing the

details.

Klein long knew that the various Churches and the Northern Continent's

countries had consciously attempted to destroy or conceal information,

to hide the true history of the Fourth Epoch, Third Epoch, and even the

Second Epoch. What people knew as common knowledge actually differed

from the people who used to live in those eras.

This was also one of the reasons why Klein took on the risk to enter the

book world!

Inside the spacious and windy cave, a bonfire scattered its light and

heat on three humanoid figures.

One of them was a middle-aged man in an extremely spartan white robe. He

had wrinkles but didn't appear old. He had his back to the fire as he

faced the stone wall with his eyes closed, focused on his prayers. He

had short brown hair, and his shoulders, arms, calves, and feet were

exposed, revealing all kinds of old scars.

Beside him was a lad using a stone for a pillow. He donned a black,

heavy full-body armor. By his hand was an erected black sword that

emitted a cold shimmering light. His facial features were rather deep,

giving him clear Loen traits.

Sitting opposite the two was a man in his thirties who was dressed

strangely. He gave people a sense of unease. He wore a sharp and hard

black hat, and his coat's buttons were mismatched. It was messy and

chaotic, highly asymmetric and unharmonious.

In addition, the tips of his leather boots curled up high, making him

look like a circus clown.

This man had quite a handsome face. He had flaxen-colored hair, deep

brown eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. Even though he sat there, he

gave off an arrogant feeling.

Edwina pointed at him and said, "Solomon Empire's Viscount Mobet

Zoroast, a gentleman who can take away the ideals and dreams of others."

"You don't have to mince your words. Hello there, I'm a Sequence 5 Dream

Stealer of the Marauder pathway," Mobet said with a chuckle. He acted

nothing like the arrogance he seemed to exude.

*A member of the Zoroast family... The angel parasitizing Leonard's body

is from this family. Perhaps they know each other? Heh, I now know the

name of Sequence 4 and 5 of the Marauder pathway, but I don't even know

the corresponding Sequence 6 and 7...* Many thoughts flashed

through Klein's mind as he maintained his stoic look.

At that moment, Anderson warmly greeted him with a smile and asked as

though they were pals, "To be frank, this is the first time I'm hearing

of Dream Stealer. I only know of Marauder and Swindler. There are two

Sequences in the middle I'm not aware of."

"Are the Beyonders of this pathway already so scarce? Doesn't Edwina

know? Sequence 7 Cryptologist and Sequence 6 Prometheus. Haha, let me do

the introductions." Mobet warmly pointed to the praying man whose back

was facing everyone. "The pious ascetic, Snowman. He believes in the

Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God. Don't

mind him. He's completely sealed himself in his beliefs. But in combat,

he's a very reliable companion. Eh, Snowman, you should say something at

the very least."

Mobet, who didn't receive a response, stroked his chin with a rueful

smile.

"This is the treatment I often receive. You might find it hard to

imagine that I was an arrogant, reserved, and refined nobleman. But time

has changed everything. Heh heh, that happens when your companion is a

giant who only knows how to chuckle foolishly and shout slogans..."

When he said this, Groselle, who was sitting on a rock, smiled in a

simple and good-natured manner. He raised his hand to scratch the back

of his head as his single vertical eye didn't show the ferocity and

cruelness that giants were strongly rumored to have.

Mobet shook his head and pointed at the ascetic, Snowman.

"As for him, he might not speak a single word for years or even a

decade. Siatas is a very violent woman. As long as there are any

emotional stirrings in her, she'll beat me up. Sigh, I'm as afraid of

her now as I was infatuated over her back then. Therefore, I can only

make conversation and speak to them; otherwise, I'll definitely go mad!

"Thankfully, Frunziar came later. He's quite the conversationalist. Hey,

Frunziar, wake up! We have new companions!"

The sleeping black-armored knight slowly woke up as he looked at Klein

and company.

Suddenly, there was the sound of metal striking each other as he stood

up. Staring at Klein, he said, "Loenese?"

"Yes," Klein nodded frankly. He discovered that this Loen soldier who

had gone missing for 165 years didn't look old. He had black hair and

sharp, blue eyes. He made one submit to him unknowingly.

Frunziar appeared adrift for a moment as he quickly composed himself.

"Do you know of Backlund's Edward family?"

"Backlund has many Edwards," Klein replied simply.

"The Edward family that lives at 18 Delahire Street in Northwest

Borough," Frunziar pressed anxiously.

Klein shook his head.

"Northwest Borough no longer exists."

"Northwest Borough no longer exists..." Frunziar repeated those words as

his voice grew softer.

He fell silent for a few seconds before exhaling.

"I've no idea how many years have passed outside, but it should've been

quite a while. Edwina told me the actual year, but I don't remember the

year I entered... I was sleeping most of the time, and time here seems

to be frozen."

Mobet Zoroast chuckled upon hearing that.

"That's because you have bad luck. Back when we were passing through

cities and villages, everything was perfect."

He looked at Klein, Anderson, and Danitz.

"Back then, we lived in places with humans, with intelligent races. We

got married again and again, seeing our wives turn old, grow weak, and

die. Heh, before a new member joins, we would forget our goals. We would

lead ordinary but happy and relaxed lives for decades or centuries. The

only con is that we aren't able to bear our own children.

"Later, Frunziar came. We entered this region blanketed by ice and snow.

We hunted many monsters, but gradually, we began to fall into a slumber.

We were seldom awake until we met Edwina."

*This means that time in the book world flows normally. The story's

progress is maintained by a certain power that influences the main

lead's party. Before new members join and before the book's pages flip,

they'll stop and stay at a certain node, doing other things... This is

similar to the inter-translation of languages at the mind

level...*

*Conversely, does this also mean that towns and villages in the book

world also develop normally? Yes, I have to quickly find King of the

North Ulyssan; otherwise, with the passage of time, we might also

experience that influence and fall into a slumber or forget the main

quest. We'll stay here for a long period of time until a new member is

swallowed into the book and finds us...* Klein fell silent for a

few seconds. Just as he was about to say something, Edwina said,

"There's no need to worry about that problem.

"We will soon encounter the King of the North."

"Why?" Anderson and Mobet asked in unison.

Edwina surveyed the area and said, "Before I entered, the stuck pages in

the book only had a few more pages.

"And now, with you entering and finding the camp, there definitely can't

be many pages left. The story is about to come to an end."

Mobet nodded indiscernibly in agreement with Edwina's judgment. Anderson

softly mumbled terms such as "stuck."

Edwina then introduced Klein, Anderson, and Danitz as she made an

example of herself and sat down beside the bonfire.

Klein took off his hat and held it with his cane. He slowly sat down and

looked at Mobet Zoroast who was inclined to chat.

"Have you heard of the Tudor Empire and the Trunsoest Empire?"

He didn't beat around the bush and asked directly. That was Gehrman

Sparrow's persona.

"No." Mobet shook his head. "Edwina has already asked me. Heh, in my

era, the Tudors and Trunsoests were just like my Zoroast family. We're

aristocratic families of the Solomon Empire and were loyal subjects of

the Black Emperor."

*So the Trunsoest and Tudor families were traitors of the Solomon

Empire...* Klein thought and said, "Apart from you, what other

aristocratic families did the Solomon Empire have?"

"Many." Mobet smiled as he looked at Frunziar. "Augustus, Abraham,

Zaratul, etc. In my era, the Church of the Evernight Goddess's

archenemies were the Church of the God of Combat and the Southern

Continent's Eggers family. The Churches of the Lord of Storms, Eternal

Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were all at odds with

each other, all of them hoping to gain the support of the Solomon

Empire."

He paused for two seconds as his expression gradually turned solemn.

"Back then, deities walked the land, and not in the astral world."