Chapter 929: True Soul Body
"Fate!"
As the dragged out and abstruse ancient Hermes term resounded, the spots
where the Spirit World Plunderer and Klein stood suddenly darkened.
It wasn't very obvious, as though a cloud had drifted over in midair
without stopping.
But when this illusionary shadow dissipated, the invisible figure that
was donning a translucent white robe stood frozen on the spot. The
surface of its clothes showed signs of worms crawling across it. It was
sluggish, slow, and in a dire state.
Across it, Klein's eyes had their lucidity return. The meat tendrils on
the shadowed face beneath the papal tiara vanished.
It appeared as though it wasn't the Spirit World Plunderer who had
controlled Klein's Spirit Body Threads and nearly succeeded; instead, it
appeared as though Klein was the one who was controlling it and had
nearly converted it into his marionette!
The Fate Siphon charm switched one's fate!
This was a high-level charm made using a Worm of Time. It could siphon
off the target's subsequent fate, and in a short period of time, burden
it with that of the target's, so as to complete an exchanging of fates.
Therefore Klein and the Spirit World Plunderer's situations had
switched. One went from death to survival, while the other went from
victory to instant despair.
After confirming that the Spirit World Plunderer was intelligent and
extremely difficult to deal with, making it difficult to hunt it, Klein
began putting on an act of retreating. He appeared rash as he
deliberately walked into the Spirit World Plunderer's control, enticing
its actions, ready to use the Fate Siphon charm at the critical moment!
That way, what terrible acts the Spirit World Plunderer did to its
enemy, the charm would then allow it to experience the same despair!
Of course, if the Fate Siphon charm didn't have the expected effect, or
if the Spirit World Plunderer's main soul didn't appear and had ended up
using other means to control the situation, Klein still had his last
trick up his sleeve to protect himself---directly end the summoning and
return above the gray fog. He would sacrifice his two marionettes and a
few mystical items in order to ensure his own safety.
Without the time to marvel at how magical the Fate Siphon charm was, or
how terrifying angels from the Marauder pathway were, Klein didn't
hesitate to raise the Sea God Scepter high up before the swapping of
fates ended.
The dark blue papal robe flared up with the wind as the golden papal
tiara emitted meshed blue and silver beams of light. At the tip of the
white bone scepter, it shot out bolts of lightning that gathered into a
ball before landing on the Spirit World Plunderer's body!
A swath of silver color brightened up immediately, inundating the
target, turning the surroundings white.
Once, twice, thrice. Klein continuously triggered terrifying lightning
balls, expending his spirituality without holding back.
Finally, he heard a roar that seemed to stem from the depths of one's
soul as he instinctively sensed that his target had collapsed and
dissipated.
Only then did Klein lower the Sea God Scepter and watch the silver
lightning sizzle away.
At that moment, his entire Spirit Body had turned rather illusory. Even
with the Tyrant's augmentation, it didn't seem real.
As the lightning dispersed, the invisible figure in the white
translucent robe appeared once again in Klein's sight.
Flickering light emerged from within as the Spirit World Plunderer's
body cracked, turning into countless illusory bubbles that disintegrated
bit by bit.
The Tyrant had succeeded in the hunt.
At this moment, deep within Calderón City, there was a sudden quake. It
was as though a massive creature had awoken as a result of the Spirit
World Plunderer's death, or that countless dangerous creatures were
surging out.
The indescribable feeling combined into a swath of illusory
grayish-white and, like a tidal wave, rose up from the bottom.
*Other Spirit World Plunderers? No, it appears to be a more terrifying
and horrible creature. A being that the Spirit World Plunderer attends
to? Also, in Calderón City's core region, at the end of the deep pit,
it's still as silent as ever. There's no sound at all, making it more
horrifying...* Klein pumped himself up as he diverted some
attention in order to monitor the situation inside Calderón City as he
anxiously waited for the Spirit World Plunderer's characteristic to
appear to form an ingredient.
He wasn't relishing in the delight of a successful hunt but was pacing
about anxiously at the edge of the abyss.
During this process, Klein got Enzo and Ludwell to stay close to him. He
threw the Sea God Scepter to the former so as to escape the state of
irascibility. He began considering how to deal with the subsequent
development with a clear mind, as well as consider whether he had missed
out on some other details.
As the thoughts flashed in his mind, Klein suddenly recalled something:
Back when he made the mystical items sing, Creeping Hunger had praised
the True Creator and had used "His" complete honorific name.
*Although the human-skinned glove had used Hermes instead of ancient
Hermes or other languages that could stir the powers of nature, the
former was still usable when it came to sacrifices! This also meant that
the True Creator might've very well heard Creeping Hunger's praises and
noticed the commotion here.*
*Apart from the rising grayish-white tide and the terrifying creature
deep down in the city, there are other dangers... Wait, I'm now a Spirit
Body, equivalent to a wraith. I'm not in my normal state...*
Just as Klein's mind thought of something, his spiritual perception was
triggered as he instinctively cast his gaze at the entrance to Calderón
City.
The lights there flickered as a figure entered.
The figure was wearing a simple and ordinary linen robe with a head of
silver hair.
He was a handsome man with soft facial features. His eyes were gentle
with some hints of coldness. It was as though he was observing the fates
of everyone in the world like a spectator.
Behind him, there were beams forming illusory layers of pure wings. They
spread outwards, blocking the entire entrance.
"..."
Klein nearly hissed through the gaps in his teeth as a series of titles
and names flashed across his mind:
Ouroboros!
Tail Devourer!
Angel of Fate!
King of Angels!
He didn't have the luxury of time to consider the possibility of his
previous thought. His body expanded as though it was incorporeal,
enveloping his marionettes, Enzo and Ludwell, the yet-to-appear
characteristic, and the Spirit World Plunderer's remnant bubbles within!
At this moment, Ouroboros's silver eyes already had the distant figure
in "His" sights. It was a figure wearing a papal tiara and a dark blue
robe, exuding extreme oppression and tyranny. There was a grayish-white
fog that had been blurred by the Tyrant's aura.
A river of flickering light appeared in "His" eyes, seeming to circle
the Tyrant figure and the periphery of Calderón City.
Silently, the square houses and the pale-white columns stood up again
despite being destroyed by the Lightning Storm from before. The charred
legs of the giant blacksmith once again possessed a body as he appeared
inside the tomb, striking at the anvil.
All of this returned to what it was like shortly after the Tyrant
stepped in.
However, Klein in his pontiff attire had vanished. His two marionettes
along with the remnant bubbles of the Spirit World Plunderer had
vanished as well.
The corresponding figure was unable to return as the rebooted scene
shattered, turning back to the desolate state after the battle.
Tail Devourer Ouroboros watched silently for a long while before making
a move. The grayish-white swath that rose up from the depth of Calderón
City slowly receded back down.
Above the gray fog, Klein slumped in the high-back chair of The Fool in
exhaustion. He wasn't even able to get Enzo and Ludwell to massage him.
He had already thrown the Sea God Scepter back to the junk pile. The
Tyrant card had left his soul body and was placed facing down beside the
Black Emperor card. The Spirit World Plunderer's bubbles were floating
ahead, with the Beyonder characteristic constantly seeping out before
combining with the points of light.
After resting for a while, Klein saw grayish-white powder fall onto the
mottled table's surface. Following that was a transparent item that
seemed weightless.
The item was the size of a palm, formed by coiled maggots. It was almost
shaped like a human, and its interior was filled with a colorless
liquid. Bubbles often emerged, scattering black hints of light.
Klein didn't dare to look at it carefully, as there was a more
complicated structure in the weightless transparent object. They formed
indescribable patterns and symbols that seemed to fuse knowledge, power,
transformation, secrets, bizarreness, and madness within, making them no
longer abstract.
This made Klein feel very dizzy. His mind was even on the verge of
breaking down, with his soul almost losing control.
*This is likely the true soul of the Spirit World Plunderer... I have
the corresponding powder as well. There's about 70 grams, more than I
needed. It's more than I expected.* Klein nodded indiscernibly
and stored the powder into a box. Together with the true soul body, he
threw them on the junk pile and covered it with the gray fog.
After completing this, he raised his hand to rub his temples and made a
self-deprecating remark:
*If it wasn't for the Sea God Scepter, I probably would've had to leave
Calderón City due to the assault of the Spirit World Plunderer. I would
then wait until I had helpers and could make the most solid of hunting
plans so as to control the stirrings of the area to not alarm the
unknown entity at the core region...*
*Sigh, I was rash the entire time. Although the outcome was fine, it
really doesn't suit my character. It's also completely at odds with the
Seer pathway's acting. In the future, I should try to avoid using the
Sea God Scepter in the outside world.*
*Uh... The Spirit World Plunderer has been successfully hunted. There's
no need for me to get Miss Sharron's help. In a few days, I'll write to
her so that she won't be thinking over this matter.*
*However, I have a premonition that I'll still be heading to Calderón
City in the future. When that happens, perhaps I might still need Miss
Sharron's help.*
*In addition, I have to seek out information on Bizarro Banes. I can't
put all my hope on the City of Silver...*
Amidst his thoughts, Klein directly returned to his body, without
bringing his marionettes. He ended the ritual and headed straight for
bed, falling asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
"Escaped?" Soest looked at the man opposite him and asked Daly Simone
who was carrying out a spirit channeling.
They had just finished their operation and had captured a few Numinous
Episcopate members. However, the key personnel the intel pointed at,
Hand of White Palenque Taciblius, wasn't at the secret gathering point.
He was a Sequence 4 demigod; therefore, not only had the Red Gloves team
used a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, they had even requested Goddess's Eye
Ilya's help. However, it was all futile.
Daly Simone nodded.
"Yes."
She then looked at the captive, suddenly speaking with an ethereal
voice, "Where did Palenque Taciblius go?"
"H-he said he was going to meet someone," the Numinous Episcopate member
answered slowly.
"Who is that person?" Daly Simone pressed. Leonard Mitchell and company
also cast their gazes over.
The man who was being spirit channeled answered with an unperturbed
voice, "Ince Zangwill."