58 - lord of Mysterious: I'm Jumping Back and Forth Between Two Timelines

Chapter 112: Clever Schemes to Evade the Salted Fish, Difficult to Calculate the Thousand Mechanisms Returning to mystery

How does Nimrod plan to evade the detection of the Angel Salted Fish?

It is known that Nimrod can ascend Sefirah Castle on the circlet timeline, and Lumian's dream shattered ahead of schedule due to his advancement, meaning the Salted Fish lady hasn't reacted yet.

So, the thing to do is simple—hide in Sefirah Castle, and the Salted Fish could dig up every inch of Cordu Village and still not find him.

Based on the current situation, because Lumian did not complete the script set by the father and son pair, Adam and Amon, his mental state is slightly better than it originally was... though not by much. However, Nimrod's words, which inherently carry a "Seduction" effect, managed to pull him back somewhat, reigniting his hope for resurrecting his sister and seeking revenge.

After this, once Lumian embarks on his journey with Fors's help, he can directly "descend" beside Lumian—since he ascended Sefirah Castle in his true body, he can use the "Transfer Ritual" to reach Trier directly, provided he has the coordinates.

As for the traces he left in Cordu Village, Fors currently believes he is an avatar of Klein. Furthermore, the protection of Sefirah Castle on his dream body prevents Fors outside the dream from discovering him; and Outer Deities only project some power and symbols into the dream, making it difficult for them to discover him.

In that case, the only ones who can discover him are the True God of the dual Pathways, Hanged Man and Spectator, Grisha Adam, and the Fool, Klein. However, Klein is currently being tightly entangled by the Celestial Worthy of this timeline, and the energy he can spare is limited, mostly allowing only fleeting glimpses.

Therefore, Nimrod can basically confirm that only Adam has noticed him, viewing him as a variable capable of saving the world, and has provided him with some assistance—for example, blocking the sight of the other gods and granting him a "Blessing."

Whether out of the desire to save this world or the need to keep Amon's secret, Nimrod believes Adam will not reveal his traces to other deities, at most only telling his son, Amon, who is currently imprisoned in Lumian's chest.

Aside from this world, Amon is the only individual Adam cares about and favors. However, in order to save this world, Adam is willing to accept the outcome of sacrificing himself, and naturally, he is also willing to accept Amon's death.

Why do I feel like I'm always a "Safety Net" no matter where I am... The Celestial Worthy treats me as a Safety Net, and Adam treats me as a Safety Net?

Thinking of this, a few "ridiculous" thoughts briefly surfaced in Nimrod's mind.

[Who would have thought the Fool would empty my Gacha Pool.] The Celestial Worthy's voice sounded somewhat depressed: [Being with you is truly like being in prison, except for the ability to elbow God Almighty... When will you let me out for a walk?]

"There will be a chance." Nimrod shook his head and began recalling his experiences in mystery world last week.

This time's traversal has only taken a day and a half so far, plus an extra 9 hours were consumed—if that's the case, will these 9 extra hours affect the timing of his future traversals? Will it change the countdown he holds?

These are all things that need consideration.

After returning to Sefirah Castle, the accumulated fatigue also rushed into Nimrod's heart. He lay on the Gray Fog, waiting for the countdown to hit zero, while leisurely contemplating the tasks he needed to accomplish on the two timelines: mystery and the circlet timeline.

First, mystery timeline.

After a while, once Mr. Z has consolidated the Aurora Order in Tingen, he will prepare to change his identity and enter Backlund—after all, the identity in Tingen City still needs to be reserved for Mr. Z. As for the new identity, it is gradually being perfected through repeated correspondence with the two Saints.

Judging from the information currently provided by The Dark Saint, the identity Nimrod will use next is that of a wealthy man named Dionysus Fried, who previously conducted business in northern cities and abroad before returning to Backlund to invest in cultural industries.

With the help of The Dark Saint, most of the past experiences have been successfully fabricated and are currently being fine-tuned according to Nimrod's Beyonder abilities.

The identity of a wealthy businessman who conducts business abroad perfectly fits the glib Characteristic of the Marauder Pathway. Furthermore, due to the existence of the Dancer and subsequent Sequences, Nimrod asked The Dark Saint to fabricate an identity for him with noble lineage, along with a Faceless Beyonder item—nobles naturally excel at dancing and etiquette, which is both a stereotype and the current reality of Loen.

In this world, although ironic, the status of a noble indeed brings many conveniences.

Considering his current cooperation with the Church of the Night, the faith for this identity will be the Church of the Night. After all, nobles are subject to the supervision of the Churches, and choosing the Church of Storms would not only be blasphemy against the True Creator (limited to Aurora Order believers) but also equivalent to directly challenging a True God.

Next, all Nimrod needs to do is take the steam train to Backlund, connect with Mr. A, who is in charge of Backlund, after completing the identity disguise, and begin reforming the Aurora Order there, accelerating the revival of the True Creator.

Furthermore, the ongoing matters within the Backlund branch of the Aurora Order have also been sent to Nimrod, including cooperation with the Demoness Sect and cooperation with the Royal Family.

However, before Nimrod travels to Backlund, these collaborations are currently progressing slowly and must wait for Nimrod, the Saint, to arrive before being handled.

On the circlet timeline, Nimrod's most important task is to take Lumian to Trier, a place teeming with Angels, to digest Potions and rapidly advance, while also feeding Lumian two Assassin Pathway Potions so that Lumian can develop equally in combat power and spirituality—no, in Calamity and Man-made Disaster—to synthesize a Great Calamity.

As for where to obtain the Assassin Potion?

Triss is likely nearing the time when she will escape the Demoness Sect and will probably contact him; even if she doesn't contact him or doesn't have the Potion formula, it doesn't matter. Nimrod remembers that there are still Demonesses in Tingen City. He can just kill one then, perform a spiritual consultation, and ask the True Creator to help him separate the Characteristic... The countdown finally hit zero.

Nimrod carefully observed his surroundings and opened a small Observation Window downward from Sefirah Castle, a window that allowed him to see the real world. But the next moment, the scene before Nimrod's eyes began to change rapidly, as if time was quickly flowing. The Sun, which had been hanging in the sky, instantly dropped below the horizon.

After all this happened, the Gray Fog gradually surged up from the surroundings, but just then, a voice, as if transmitted from ancient times, suddenly rang out:

"mystery."

"You have awakened. We can cooperate to escape."

This is... God Almighty's voice? How did He find "me"? Nimrod's heart stirred. Just as he was thinking about how to reply, the Celestial Worthy beside him excitedly spoke:

[Let me handle it!—It probably seized the opportunity when Adam failed to suppress it, gaining enough time for a few words.]

Nimrod thought for a moment, took a step back, and allowed the Celestial Worthy's Phantom to stand at the Observation Window.

Dark sunlight seemed to converge there. The Celestial Worthy chuckled lightly and spoke affectionately toward God Almighty:

[Scram.]

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#113Family and heroes

Chapter 113: Family and Hero

"Melissa, listen to me..."

In the Moretti family's living room, Klein felt his scalp tingle. He looked at Melissa in front of him and awkwardly explained to the little girl, who seemed on the verge of tears:

"The Church and I signed a confidentiality agreement, witnessed by the Evernight Goddess. Even to my family, I can't reveal information about my work..."

At this point, Klein took a deep breath:

"Furthermore, letting you know about this might also increase your danger..."

Leonard and Dunn sat on the side. Although Leonard's face was pale, he was trying his best to suppress the corners of his mouth—he and Dunn's emotions were complex, containing both a slight smile at the flustered Klein (Leonard's exclusive reaction) and the relief of surviving a disaster.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the end... Otherwise, I might have taken on the task of visiting Klein's family and informing them of his death... Leonard's thoughts drifted, he mused to himself, suddenly aware of a chuckle in his ear.

Leonard's cheeks immediately flushed. He retorted somewhat indignantly in his mind, "Old man, why are you laughing at me again—I haven't even mentioned how you tricked me!"

"Tricked you? As a Marauder Angel, isn't it normal for me to trick you?" Pales said righteously:

"And without me, you would have died that night... Tsk tsk tsk, still thinking you're the only one special, wanting to bear everything? Which of Klein or that Saint from the Aurora Order isn't special? Is it your turn to show off?"

Leonard opened his mouth, his face beet red, only muttering in his heart:

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"Anyway, you've also communicated with the Goddess's favored one..."

While Leonard was having an intense mental conversation with Pales in his mind, Benson, sitting next to Klein, also sighed and spoke:

"Klein, I can understand you... It's just that this news is a bit too much for Melissa. You know, she almost lost her brother."

"Now that I think back, I actually feel a bit scared and relieved." Klein nodded, his tone quite helpless as he said:

"Actually, if I hadn't encountered those things back then, I might be working as an instructor at a university right now; but at that time, I was constantly entangled with Beyonder matters, and joining the Nighthawks was the best choice. And you know, Benson, what happened to Welch and the others..."

But that was for "Klein" to take the exam; if it were me, I would definitely fail... Hearing Klein's words, Benson was also silent for a moment. After a while, he coughed and looked at Dunn Smith, who was sitting upright on the side:

"Mr. Smith, I want to ask, since we've been involved in Beyonder events, what should we do next?"

Dunn glanced at Klein, who was still explaining to Melissa, with his deep gaze. He nodded and said to Benson:

"As I said before, you have two choices."

"The first is to sign a confidentiality agreement like Klein, then continue your lives, and at the same time, regularly accept observation from the Nighthawks to prevent Beyonder powers from continuing to spread within you."

"But this also means you cannot leave Tingen City. If you need to leave, you'll have to go through tedious reporting and approval processes... Believe me, you won't want to experience that."

Benson gave a wry smile; the nature of his work meant he couldn't choose this option—Benson worked for a trading company and often needed to travel for business.

And he wasn't middle or upper management in the company; if he couldn't freely leave Tingen, he might quickly lose his job.

And losing his job was tantamount to a slow death. Even with Klein supporting the family, how long could they last?

Dunn apparently understood the meaning behind Benson's wry smile. He nodded and said to him in a deep voice:

"After investigation, we also fully understand the nature of your work. Furthermore, considering that you are both devout believers of the Goddess, we recommend that both you and your sister choose the second option:"

"Join the Church of the Night and become a 'clerical staff' of the Nighthawks."

Benson sat up straighter.

"The Nighthawks in Tingen City will undergo a reorganization," Dunn said solemnly to Benson. Melissa's attention on the side was also gradually drawn to Dunn, which significantly eased Klein's pressure:

"Considering that you haven't joined the Church yet, I'll briefly explain it to you. After this incident, the Church will adjust the personnel composition of the Nighthawks in Tingen City, so we need more clerks to assist in handling affairs."

"Moreover, considering that you are Klein's family, you should also receive the Church's protection. The fugitive is still at large, and we cannot confirm whether he will risk retaliation against Klein's family. From any perspective, you will be safer under the Church's protection."

Dunn glanced at the somewhat uneasy Benson: "At the same time, you can refer to the benefits Klein previously received for Nighthawk clerical staff. We will also provide some training for you siblings to ensure you have a certain level of self-defense capability."

"Considering that Ms. Melissa is still studying, we can arrange for Melissa to transfer to the Church's school and work for the Church after graduation."

Upon hearing Dunn's words, Benson was completely swayed.

Whether it was the same salary as Klein initially received or the matter of Melissa's education, the solution offered by the Church moved Benson.

However, he still felt a sense of unreality, because the conditions offered by the Church were too good, almost unbelievably good, making Benson, who had received his father's pension, somewhat incredulous.

But due to the special status of the Nighthawks captain and Tingen City police officer in front of him, he found it difficult to voice his most pressing concern.

Just then, Melissa, who had been listening intently, frowned and said with some uncertainty:

"Are the benefits for Nighthawk family members really that good...?"

Dunn smiled and gestured for Leonard to continue his words. Leonard immediately understood and, his mouth moving faster than his brain, said:

"Of course not."

Swish, swish, swish, four pairs of eyes immediately converged on him, filled with various emotions. Leonard, oblivious, took a breath and continued:

"Generally, for Nighthawk family members involved in Beyonder incidents, we would start them as probationary clerks and observe and vet them step by step... But this step has already been completed by other members of the Church, and coupled with Klein's situation, you deserve this treatment."

Leonard said earnestly:

"Because Klein is a hero of Tingen City."

"We saved Tingen."

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#114Red Gloves Klein

Chapter 114: "Red Gloves" Klein

Hero… The word "hero" echoed in Melissa and Benson's ears. Benson silently chewed on the word in his mind for a moment, then slowly nodded:

"Mr. Smith, I might need to handle some... handovers with the company I used to work for. You know, outside the Church, it's hard to get a perfect job, and these jobs often require us to sign some rather harsh contracts."

Dunn pretended not to notice the hidden flattery in Benson's words, and his tone softened:

"Regarding the contract, you don't need to worry. We will notify the police station to terminate the contract you signed with your original company. A specialist will negotiate with them."

"This afternoon, I will have the clerk draft the confidentiality agreement and send it over. During this period, try not to go out without a Nighthawk accompanying you. I'm worried that the wanted criminal might return to retaliate against Klein's family."

In a forgotten corner, Miss Roseanne, the clerk who was still working overtime today, quietly shattered.

With that, Dunn glanced at Klein, a faint smile appearing on his face:

"Klein, come to the 'company' this afternoon. Your transfer from the Church has come through. I won't disturb your family's hard-won reunion."

Dunn noticed that as he spoke the word "transfer," Miss Melissa, sitting next to Benson and opposite him, trembled slightly. Dunn did not linger here, quickly bowed slightly, and left the Moretti home with Leonard.

Klein closed the door, but heard Melissa's voice filled with complex emotions:

"Klein, do you really have to accept the transfer and leave again?"

"I, I know you are Tingen City's hero, and I know you chose to join the Church for us at the time, but I still find it hard to accept—you almost died. More than Tingen City's hero, I wish my brother could be safe and sound..."

Melissa had been restless for days after learning of Klein's severe injuries, then underwent several days of Church scrutiny, only seeing Klein, whose injuries had fully recovered, yesterday.

Sister, I also wish for a peaceful life, but I keep getting drawn into different crises... Klein took a deep breath, sat next to Benson, and said to Melissa:

"Actually, I don't want to leave Tingen either."

"But I, Captain Dunn, and Leonard all stopped the wanted criminal at the time. If I continue to stay in Tingen City, I will bring danger to you... Melissa, I also hope you can be safe and not encounter danger."

Klein's lips twitched, and a brilliant smile appeared on his face:

"Besides, even if I accept the transfer and go to another city, that doesn't mean I can't come back later, right?"

"I've already met the Archbishop of the Church. Maybe in the future, I can also become a Deacon or Bishop of the Church of the Night, just like those sirs and ladies. By then, I can either bring you over or directly return to Tingen."

"Moreover, if I stay here and stop progressing on the Beyonder path, then if another Beyonder creates a similar tragedy someday, I might be powerless..."

Benson and Melissa already knew some things about the Beyonder world, so they easily accepted Klein's words.

Melissa sighed softly, reaching out to adjust Klein's tie, but struggled for a long time, seemingly just pulling it left and right with some agitation.

After a long while, Melissa finally lowered her hands and spoke earnestly to Klein:

"Klein, you must be careful..."

...Inside the Blackthorn Security Company, Klein slowly walked into Dunn's office.

—Or rather, there was no longer an office; the interior of Blackthorn Security Company hadn't been fully repaired. The office area had only undergone simple repairs and partitioning, with a few sets of desks and chairs brought in from outside to handle official documents.

Dunn sat on one of the chairs, Daly Simone sat beside him, and Leonard sat on the other side, patting the chair next to him when he saw Klein.

The reason Dunn and Leonard had insisted on going to Klein's home earlier was, firstly, because Dunn was officially the head of the Nighthawks in Tingen City, and secondly, because... now only Daly could barely be considered Dunn's family, while Leonard had grown up in the Church. The only ones Ince Zangwill might retaliate against were Klein's brother and sister, which was why the two of them attached such importance to it.

Klein sighed briefly and sat next to Leonard. His gaze gradually moved upward, seeing the Church of the Night Deacon sitting in the center of the four, a Senior Deacon named Creste Celcima, and one of the three Red Gloves leaders.

"Dunn, Daly, Leonard, and Klein."

Crestet's gaze swept over the four Nighthawks before him, lingering on Klein for an extra two or three seconds:

"After the Church's review, you have made significant contributions in defending Tingen City, and show no signs of being corrupted by or believing in evil gods. After discussion by 22 Archbishops and Senior Deacons, we announce the transfer of the Tingen City Nighthawks and the four of you:"

"Since Tingen City has lost the 'Ashes of Saint Selena' and can no longer control the Sealed Artifacts behind the Chanis Gate, the Church is transferring the Sealed Artifacts to the Cathedral in batches. At the same time, the 駐守力度 in Tingen City will be reduced, decreasing the number of Nighthawks in Tingen City."

Without the Ashes of Saint Selena, the Sealed Artifacts behind the Chanis Gate lost their greatest suppression and had to be transferred elsewhere to remain sealed; however, after losing so many Sealed Artifacts, according to the Extraordinary Aggregation Principle, the probability of Tingen City encountering Beyonder events has also greatly decreased.

—After all, when Arianna, the Servant of Concealment, came before, she had already "cleaned up" Tingen City's "trash" once.

Similarly, Nighthawks themselves also obey the Extraordinary Aggregation Principle; when the number of Beyonders here decreases, the probability of Beyonder events occurring here will also be lower.

Although Klein had anticipated this situation, he still felt a slight sense of loss.

"And the reward for the four of you is an additional promotion contribution," Crestet said seriously:

"In addition, the Church has now decided to give the opportunity for promotion to those among you four who have fully digested their Potion—that is, the Potion allocation for Dunn Smith, Leonard Mitchell, and Klein Moretti."

"Daly Simone's promotion will take place after she has fully digested her Potion."

"You have one week to adjust your state and complete your promotion. After one week, you will temporarily join my team and go to Backlund to carry out a pursuit mission. You will automatically become an independent new 'Red Gloves' squad once one of you is promoted to Sequence 5."

Chapter 115: "Seviya"

As expected... Klein was not surprised to hear about his impending transfer; he simply let out a quiet breath.

Before this, he had already made a highly accurate guess about the direction of his potential transfer.

Given that the Church knew about his uniqueness yet still tacitly allowed him to continue performing his duties as a Nighthawk, they would either transfer him to the Cathedral for observation or assign him to a "department" where he could rapidly advance.

Without a doubt, the fastest way to advance within the Church was via the "Red Gloves," who face the most danger. Most of their members knew the Acting Method, allowing them to rapidly digest their potions and accumulate contributions for promotion.

As for why the Church of the Night would select him—a Nighthawk who was unique but not absolutely loyal to the Church—Klein speculated it was likely related to the rumored "Doomsday."

Putting that aside, while relying on the Church of the Night imposed certain restrictions on Klein, when he considered Alger, the other ruthless double-crosser in the Tarot Club, Klein felt these restrictions were practically nonexistent.

The only restrictions might be the need to fight for the Church and the inability to betray it. But for Klein, this had been his job since his transmigration, and based on his understanding of the Church, Klein believed he had no reason to betray the Church of the Night.

Unless the Church's actions crossed Klein's personal moral bottom line, Klein was willing to stay here.

"Rapid advancement" was precisely what Klein needed most urgently. This wasn't just due to the pressure of dealing with Ince Zangwill, but more importantly, because of his agreement with Nimrod. He also hoped to find a way back to Earth by raising his Sequence.

Relying on an official organization was much faster than gathering potions as a lone wolf!

Furthermore... As Klein solemnly accepted the Church's transfer order alongside his three teammates, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at Leonard, who was grinning foolishly while holding a pair of Red Gloves.

Since the Church discovered the issue with Leonard, there's no reason they wouldn't discover my own uniqueness. Heh, I wouldn't be like him, thinking I'm the protagonist of the entire world and the only special one... Klein mocked Leonard internally.

Speaking of which, the last Tarot Club meeting wasn't formally convened. Do I need to explain the situation to the other two members of the Tarot Club next?

Hmm... I can say that I foiled a conspiracy involving an Evil God!

No, the "Fool" cannot act personally. The best approach is to say, "My favored foiled the conspiracy!"

At that time, I can also coordinate with Nimrod—ah, no, conspire together—to increase the credibility of the matter... After personally receiving the equipment handed out by Crestet, Klein carefully placed the briefcase containing the gear by his feet and looked up:

"Deacon Crestet, I would like to know what mission we will be executing next? Is it... the pursuit of Ince Zangwill?"

Hearing Klein's serious tone, not only Crestet but the three people around him also turned their heads to look at him.

Crestet leaned back slightly, his tone shifting from gentle to serious as he said:

"You are correct, Klein. This is the mission that will require most of our attention for the foreseeable future."

"Ince Zangwill, the rogue Archbishop, not only took '0-08' but also nearly instigated an extremely dangerous, Evil God-related catastrophe in Tingen City. It is easy to deduce that he will definitely not be satisfied with his current Sequence 4 status and will certainly seek a higher Sequence."

"You all know the 'Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics.' The Beyonder characteristics Ince Zangwill requires are almost entirely controlled by the Church. If he wants to advance to Sequence 3, he must use the power of '0-08' to attempt to hunt down high-ranking Church officials."

"But even '0-08,' a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, cannot directly dictate the fate of a Saint, especially one protected by the Goddess. Therefore, Ince Zangwill will inevitably collude with various Evil God cults to achieve his goals."

"And throughout this process, he will inevitably cause more tragedies and... more sacrifices."

Since Klein and the others already knew most of the characteristics of "0-08," Crestet did not deliberately conceal anything.

"High-ranking Church officials performed divination regarding his movements, but Ince Zangwill erased his subsequent tracks. Currently, we can only confirm his location is in Backlund."

"The reason you were chosen is that you are all survivors who stopped one of his conspiracies. You are both bait and a sharp blade."

Crestet's tone was solemn:

"I must tell you in advance: the Saints within the Church are constantly monitoring this mission, but if They appear, Ince Zangwill will be startled away. That is why this pursuit must be completed by you."

"Even so, this mission is extremely dangerous."

"You have the right to refuse this transfer. The Church will not revoke your rewards but will instead reorganize you into different 'Red Gloves' teams, scattering you as much as possible to minimize the chance of Ince Zangwill retaliating against you."

The temporary office fell silent, yet no one spoke a word of refusal.

Dunn held Daly's hand, which had quietly reached out, while Leonard tilted his head, seemingly listening intently to Crestet's words. As for Klein... this mission perfectly aligned with his own intentions. He had never planned to escape and had no intention of letting Ince Zangwill—the man who created numerous coincidences and tragedies in Tingen City and nearly killed him—get away!

Seeing the reactions of the people before him, a slight smile appeared on Crestet's face:

"In that case, we will head to Backlund in seven days. Dunn, during this time, you need to handle the handover with the remaining Nighthawks and stabilize the situation in Tingen City."

"I will also remain here during this period. If you feel your condition is properly adjusted, you can come to me to apply for the potion needed for advancement."

"Of course, if you are impatient and want to apply for advancement now, that is also fine. The next seven days can be used to reunite with your families or adjust your status."

"After all, for the foreseeable future—perhaps a few months, perhaps a year—it will be difficult for you to return here."

After hearing Crestet's words, Klein subconsciously raised his head, shifted his gaze away from Crestet, and exchanged a look with Leonard... Klein, now a "Clown," felt a slight tingling sensation remaining throughout his body as he lightly stepped into the gentle sunset and walked toward his home.

Pushing open the door, Melissa looked at Klein, whose face was beaming with smiles, and asked with slight confusion:

"Klein?"

Klein looks very happy... Is the place he's being transferred to not too dangerous? Melissa thought aimlessly to herself.

Just then, a fresh fragrance suddenly wafted to her nose.

It was a brilliant patch of gold, a bouquet of Seviya Chrysanthemums symbolizing happiness.

"I have good news."

Klein, smiling brightly, tucked the Seviya Chrysanthemums into Melissa's arms, then pulled three brand-new tickets from his jacket as if performing a magic trick.

"My transfer order has come down—I'm going to Backlund, the 'Land of Hope,' the location of St. Samuels Church! You don't have to worry about my safety anymore (Note 1). Plus, the Church has given me a week off."

"Benson is also preparing to change his job. I bought tickets for the day after tomorrow. Why don't we take Benson to see this play then?"

"I remember you always wanted to see a play at the theater..."

Klein handed the tickets to Melissa. Melissa subconsciously glanced at them, and several words were clearly printed on the surface:

"The Return of the Count"

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#116Next stop, Backlund

Chapter 116: Next Stop, Backlund

"Knock, knock, knock."

Klein raised his hand and knocked gently on the door in front of him.

"Klein, you've come."

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man with the appearance of a Balam native, wearing a white shirt and a black vest. It was Mr. Azik, the instructor whom Klein knew.

"Mr. Azik." Klein deliberated his tone. Two days ago, he had already informed Mr. Azik that he would be coming to visit:

"I have already investigated a portion of the matter you entrusted to me. Besides that, I am also here today to bid you farewell."

Azik's eyes flickered. He led Klein into his house, into the living room with the fireplace and rocking chair.

"Would you like one?"

Azik first asked politely if Klein wanted to enjoy a cigar. After Klein politely declined, he asked impatiently:

"Are you talking about matters related to 'my past'? Really?"

Azik's tone was clearly filled with intense excitement, but he still tried his best to restrain himself. While Klein was preparing how to speak, he suddenly asked with some confusion:

"Klein, the disharmony of fate on you seems to have disappeared."

"Yes…" Klein said with a sigh, arranging in his heart what he was about to say:

"Mr. Azik, this is because we resolved the mastermind behind the scenes, which is why the disharmony on me disappeared. And as for your background… it also has a significant connection to this matter."

Azik's gaze became more focused:

"Tell me."

A week ago, after becoming a "Clown," Klein had not forgotten Azik, who had previously provided him with help. While handling the handover work, he noticed a report from Ramde Town. After ascending to the gray fog he controlled and performing divination, he confirmed that it contained clues regarding Azik's background.

After discussing and exchanging ideas with Nimrod, Klein determined that the headless skeleton in Ramde Town was very likely the child of Mr. Azik, a member of the Eggers Family, who were descendants of "Death."

And Nimrod "suspected" that the reason this skeleton had lost its head was because Ince Zangwill needed to use the descendant of a mythical creature to complete the demigod advancement ritual of the "Death" Pathway.

As for how Nimrod knew about the advancement ritual of the "Death" Pathway, the answer was the old recipe passed down by the Aurora Order.

"…In other words, you are very likely a descendant of the Eggers Family, and one with a high status at that. Perhaps… a demigod who has lost their memories." Klein sighed:

"But to be honest, it is hard for me to associate you with a demigod, Mr. Azik."

"I haven't recalled anything more." Azik's expression was a bit unsightly as he said solemnly to Klein:

"But I did indeed feel some familiar… déjà vu, as well as some instinctive pain and anger. Klein, I might need to go and see that abandoned ancient castle myself."

"Can you take me there?"

Azik turned his head and asked Klein.

"Of course." Klein naturally had no reason to refuse, and said to him sincerely:

"Mr. Azik, you have helped me a lot before, so of course I am willing to help you find your past."

"Thank you." Azik also expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

The Sun gradually climbed to the center of the sky. After Azik revisited his old haunt, he remembered some of his experiences. When they boarded the carriage back, the Sun had already passed the zenith, and Azik only spoke after a long silence:

"Even though I've said it before, I feel I still need to express my gratitude to you again. Thank you, Klein."

"…This is what I promised you." Klein hesitated for a moment, not understanding why Azik felt the need to repeat it again:

"Besides, just as I said before, when tracking the 'mastermind' previously, you also helped us a lot and gave me some useful advice."

"That is not what I am referring to." Azik shook his head: "Although you covered up the reasons when you were explaining how you discovered my identity, after I recovered my memories, I can be certain that you are already an official Beyonder…"

Speaking of this, Azik looked at the stunned Klein, a rare smile appearing on his face:

"—But that is the reason why I want to thank you."

"In my memories, the attitude of official Beyonders towards wild Beyonders is not good. Yet you were able to remember your promise to me and help me find my past background outside of your work. To me, this is something worth being grateful for."

"Hehe, and just now, when I tried to use the bloodline connection between me and my child to find the murderer, I saw your figure beside the murderer, your figure fighting him. Although the reasons are different, whether for you or for me, we now have a common goal."

"We both must find this murderer who caused the disharmony in your fate and took my child's skull."

When Azik said the last sentence, Klein clearly felt his temperament become colder and more terrifying, causing Klein to feel a sudden sense of palpitations.

The atmosphere in the carriage was silent for a moment before Azik turned his soft-featured face, gazing at Klein with a gentle look:

"I will be leaving Tingen City next to search for my past and my memories. You mentioned before that you wanted to bid me farewell, so what are your plans afterward, Klein?"

"Actually, we have basically determined the location of the mastermind. My next mission is to go to Backlund to hunt down the mastermind." Klein paused for a moment:

"I will be leaving Tingen today, but due to confidentiality clauses, I cannot say anything more… Sorry, Mr. Azik."

"I see…"

Azik nodded thoughtfully, took a copper whistle from his pocket, and handed it to Klein:

"Take this. After I finish handling matters in Tingen, I will also leave here and head to Backlund."

"…At that time, you can use this copper whistle to contact me."

…

On the platform, faint steam slowly rose towards the sky. Klein held a thick suitcase in his hand with a smile on his lips as he walked into the steam train carriage with Leonard.

Leonard was still in that casual attire, not wearing formal clothes, and the suitcase in his hand was twice as large as Klein's. He nudged Klein with his elbow with some difficulty:

"Tell me, what do you think Backlund will be like?"

"Aren't you supposed to be more familiar with it than me? 'Poet'!" Klein couldn't help but glance at the eccentric Leonard, feeling inexplicably that after the special aspects of himself and Leonard were exposed, Leonard had an air of relaxation all over his body.

It was even a bit too relaxed.

Deacon Crestet, Dunn, and Daly had seats in a row, while Klein and Leonard sat together—after all, anyone with eyes could see that Dunn and Daly were in a "honeymoon phase" that had come a bit late, and only Deacon Crestet didn't mind sitting with them.

And neither Klein nor Leonard wanted to be that "third wheel."

"'Land of Hope'…" Leonard curled his lips: "That's what they say outside, but I think you will have a different view."

"A different view, huh…" Klein sat down, countless messy thoughts flashing through his mind, and slowly shook his head:

"Actually, I would prefer to call it the 'City of Fog,' it is the epitome of this era."

Speaking of this, Klein sighed secretly. After finishing the matter of Mr. Azik, he hadn't had time to communicate with Nimrod via messenger, only planning to ask Nimrod when he would come to Backlund after reporting to the Church of the Night in Backlund.

"The epitome of this era, huh…"

Hearing Klein's words, Leonard sighed with emotion, then his brain, which only knew poetry half-heartedly, disconnected again: "I remember there is a sentence that can summarize this era well, um, how did it go…"

"[It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.]"

Just then, a voice came from Leonard's left. Klein and Leonard turned their heads and saw a man sitting by the window of the steam train, wearing a luxurious black and blue windbreaker, looking to be about twenty or thirty years old, holding a notebook with a bright red cover.

He had long, curly rose-red hair, with the tips of his hair glowing with a hint of blood red.

"Ah yes, that's the sentence." Leonard said enthusiastically: "I remember this is the famous quote of Emperor Roselle…"

"I don't think it's necessary to attribute all the words of philosophers to Roselle."

The man chuckled, interrupting Leonard: "I am more inclined to believe that this was said by Dickens, and Roselle Gustav merely adapted this famous quote."

Leonard scratched his head, racking his brains but failing to recall which "philosopher" the man called "Dickens" was, while Klein's pupils constricted slightly as he asked tentatively:

"L?"

The person who could say such things must be Nimrod!

He changed his identity and appearance just to follow him here?

Nimrod's left and right brains wrestled for a moment:

"Light?"

Are you acting out Death Note here… Although Klein had a few black lines hanging from his forehead, he still smiled at Nimrod, while Leonard looked on, completely confused, and asked with some doubt:

"You know each other?"

"—No, we didn't know each other before. I just didn't expect to meet a friend with some similar hobbies. The exchange we just had was… lines derived from a play story that Roselle wrote for his daughter."

Nimrod smiled and extended his hand toward Klein:

"Nice to meet you, Dionysus Fried, a literary publisher."

Klein reached out and shook hands with Nimrod, not forgetting that he was currently in a disguise: "Sherlock Moriarty, a literature enthusiast and detective."

"It's a pity my surname isn't Holmes."

Nimrod looked up, gazing meaningfully at the gradually brightening sky:

"Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence."

(End of Volume 1)

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#117Reflections

Volume 1 Afterword

To be honest, I didn't actually expect to be able to finish the first volume before the book was officially listed.

Yuehu isn't really a newcomer anymore; I've written a few books here and there over the past few years, and a few of them flopped along the way (in reality, every single book I wrote flopped), with only my first mystery fanfic having any sort of success.

Thinking about it carefully, my aptitude might just be quite poor. Even writing to this day, I still haven't grasped the rhythm of web novels, so I can only keep pondering bit by bit, hoping to improve with this book.

Alright, that's enough complaining; now let's summarize this volume.

"Prometheus," "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man." This is the title and opening quote of this volume. The opening quote is adapted from Nietzsche, while "Prometheus" is the core of the entire volume.

The meaning of "Prometheus" has two layers. Firstly, it is Nimrod having digested all his Beyonder characteristics to become a "Prometheus."

Then there is the method of acting as a "Prometheus" mentioned in the previous chapters: whether in the Circle of Inevitability world or the mystery world, Nimrod is stealing hope from some people to bring hope to others. And Nimrod chooses to steal hope from the wicked, which is the last bit of tenderness he can give this world.

As for the opening quote, "Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man," I chose it after deliberating for a long time among several sentences that had some connection to "Prometheus." Firstly, I truly like this sentence, and secondly, it fits the tone of this mystery cthulhu mythos style world perfectly.

Hope is temporary, while madness is eternal. In this world, the highest power a civilization can reach is Sequence 1, stopping just below the Uniqueness.

This means that the upper limit of this world's civilization is locked, much like how the technological limit of Earth was locked in The Three-Body Problem. No matter how hard one tries, one needs to rely on gods to be saved—although cthulhu mythos style is agnostic, this sense of despair gives me a feeling that is exactly the same as cthulhu mythos style. Humans are destined to be insignificant, and only by embracing madness can one be saved.

This feeling became even more profound after reading Circle of Inevitability (actually, when I saw the name, I already had a premonition that mystery 2 would have a bad ending, I just didn't expect it to be a bad ending in a different sense). After all, "Fate" is approximately equal to "the destiny that is bound to arrive," which inherently carries a sense of tragedy.

When writing the first volume, I learned from the lessons of my previous books and started writing only after finishing the outline for the first volume. Facts have proven that I am not suited for that kind of spontaneous writing style; every time I have a sudden flash of inspiration, I end up taking the plot in a very abstract direction (this matter is also recorded in mystery: High-Dimensional Overseer).

So, when writing this time, I actually had some expectations for the length of the first volume, because the general weight of the first volume was already determined when writing the outline. After all, the script for Tingen City has been written to death by most fanfic authors, and there isn't much to write about in the first volume of Circle of Inevitability—the combination of the dream ending and the fact that no matter how hard one tries, nothing can be changed, these double buffs made it very difficult for me to write it long.

However, in contrast, the content of the second volume will be much more comfortable: there are many Beyonder events in the Backlund + Trier map, and there can be many variables when arranging the plot. Judging from the current outline, the second volume should be more exciting than the first.

To avoid spoilers, I will only briefly talk about the development direction for what follows:

I will still do some shenanigans in the daily life segments, and I will also adjust the pacing of the writing to try my best to let the duo of Nimrod and Celestial Worthy pull off some big moves without being targeted and killed by high-level existences (after all, the mystery world is truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers); there will be some tragedies, but I will try my best to make the endings more fulfilling. After all, everyone has already been hurt once while reading mystery, so you definitely aren't reading fanfiction just to get hurt again, right?

I will also make more reasonable arrangements for the plot of traveling back and forth between the two worlds so that each serves its purpose.

In addition, Amon and the Demoness Lumian will also appear in this volume.

No gender-bender romance! No messy love triangles (hard to say for comedic purposes)! But there is gender-bending (for real).

Before I knew it, the volume afterword has already reached over a thousand words. I'm going to continue polishing the outline. I have some things to attend to next week, so I cannot add any extra updates for the time being. I can only manage two updates a day—saving some drafts to release in a burst when it officially lists.

And, the title and opening quote for the second volume:

Volume 2, "The Ambitious."

"Humans are creatures that fear death, but humans only struggle to survive because they fear death."