you had to make a choice right now, which one would you choose?"
"Puppet" or "Trickster," that is the question.
Without considering the curse, both can maximize the cunning and treacherous nature of the "Puppet Master".
Admittedly, "Master Puppets" are not good at direct combat. They are better suited to hiding in the shadows, manipulating the threads of spirits, and pushing the puppets to win the battle step by step through calculation and strategy.
Excluding the "mutated Sun Emblem" that was already damaged in Tingen, this was Klein's first encounter with a high-level sealed artifact.
Well, the "mutated Sun Emblem" is an exception. The divine blood of the Eternal Sun should correspond to the characteristics of the fourth sequence of the "Sun" pathway, which means that the Sun Emblem itself has at least the status of a demigod. However, due to the strange ritual of creating the emblem, the emblem itself is not much different from a regular level three sealed artifact under normal circumstances... Klein recalled the sealed artifacts that he had either briefly mastered or personally used, and analyzed them in combination with his own situation.
If I choose "Puppet," judging from the appearance of "Redeemer" and Colonel Taylor's description, I can directly control the spiritual threads of this special sealed artifact, which is equivalent to having an additional temporary demigod-level puppet... I have also digested the potion of "Puppet Master," and at present I may not be able to control other spiritual threads while manipulating two puppets. However, based on previous experience, it will not take too long to fully digest it. The only thing I need to pay attention to is the curse.
The protection of the gray mist could also be a blessing from angels and demigods. There's no good way to fight a curse; the only option is to temporarily suppress it with a higher rank...
After shifting his gaze and analyzing the first sealed artifact, Klein turned his attention to the huge sphere that resembled a red moon—"The Sufferer," a "Trickster."
Compared to the "Redeemer," the "Sufferer" is not the initial carrier of the contamination; rather, they are the victim and byproduct of the curse. If its user is a prepared "Puppet Master," the negative effects are indeed less than those of the "Redeemer." Moreover, the original limitation on the "Puppet Master's" ability to manipulate the threads of spirits will be completely overcome in one fell swoop...
"Both are good, but I need to fully digest the potion before I can use them comfortably..." Klein breathed a sigh of relief and said frankly.
"Each one is a burden to me until I fully digest them."
Taylor was somewhat surprised by this answer. The not-so-young "Iron Knight" raised an eyebrow and a mocking smile instinctively appeared on his lips, but his reason prevailed and he quickly suppressed it.
"...You're right."
He almost forgot that the new divine messenger was not from the "Red of War" and did not even have a background in the "Aurora Society," and his style was different from several of the people he knew.
In his view, whether the negative effects of a properly handled and carefully studied sealed artifact will erupt and affect the user can be considered a matter of probability, rather than an absolutely unavoidable trap.
After understanding these points, while compatibility is certainly important, whether or not to use it has become a matter of sheer courage.
Negative effects?
Which of the extraordinary things doesn't have negative effects?
Even the inherent characteristics within extraordinary individuals are constantly dragging down their spirits, trying to pull them into an abyss of loss of control and death.
Since the outcome is predetermined, why not be bolder within the given timeframe?
They are dead, and unless an evil god takes their souls, the shadow veil beneath the Creator is their only refuge.
They take pride in returning to the embrace of the Creator.
"You should still remember that in the original transfer order of this country, you were the true owner of the current archipelago branch, and you should also have a share of the keys here."
As he spoke, Taylor, with a tiny wound on his right index finger, imbued with a touch of spirituality, drew a "key"-shaped symbol in the air, composed of various abstract lines.
"Is this a code?" Klein recognized it as the pattern Taylor had drawn on the door of the "Holy Ark" at the beginning.
"It's an activation command."
Taylor waved his hand, letting Klein memorize the shape of the "key," and turned to face the "Three Heads Sanctuary" standing in the center of the room.
He was serious and devout, unconsciously lowering his voice.
"Use your blood and this 'key' to swear an oath to the core of the 'Ark of the Sacred Heart', proving your identity, and only then will you gain permission to enter this place and control over the islands' branch defense mechanism."
Swearing an oath to the Ark of the Night... Familiar words, unfamiliar vocabulary, made Klein recall the oath ceremony he took before officially joining the Night Watch, presided over by Kresta Cecima, the "Sword of the Goddess," facing the sacred relic of the Church of the Night itself.
"I think I felt a gaze upon me then... from the 'Goddess of the Night'?" Klein said guiltily.
He didn't know if that gaze was just a fleeting glance, or a lasting mark left on him by the Queen who held sway over secrets; he didn't know if the mark had been washed away by the power of the gray mist, or if it still remained on him; he didn't know if it was a routine test for new "Night Watchers," or a probe by the "Goddess of the Night" against a strange soul from another world...
Since "Mystery" didn't stop it back then, it's unlikely there will be any major problems...
Under Taylor's watchful eye, Klein fully activated the "Joker's" ability to control facial expressions, and with his "wriggling hunger" fangs, he imitated Taylor by making a tiny cut on his right index finger.
Instead of being dragged down by gravity, the crimson blood continued to replenish and grow within the framework constructed by spirituality, eventually filling the key-shaped frame.
In the air, Klein grasped the intangible "key" and pushed this special symbol forward, arriving at the shrine that housed the "Three Heads Sanctuary".
Seemingly sensing a pre-programmed signal, the viscous, deep, and irregularly flowing "ink" suddenly came to life.
It resembled some kind of creature, or perhaps a shadow affected by light, casting a chaotic and disordered outline in the stone shrine. The illusory shadow instantly enveloped the "key's" spirituality, which was on the verge of dissipation due to its demigod status, and based on this, it separated out the outlines of seven blurry heads, indistinct and unreal.
In an instant, the shadows of the entire room converged towards the center, and two blurry faces vaguely appeared on the other two sealed objects connecting to the shrine. The one on the left was contorted in agony, while the one on the right was serene and content. The alluring crimson temporarily withdrew from the brilliance before the slowly awakening ancient will, losing its radiance.
The sudden surge of divinity briefly robbed the only two living beings in the room of their smooth thoughts. Even Taylor Franz, a demigod, was thrown into a state of collapse, overwhelmed by a mix of extreme emotions. He bowed his head, covered his face with his hands, and made no attempt to hide his grief as he wept uncontrollably.
In contrast, Klein, who was merely a mortal, did not react strongly; he remained like a sculpture, his dark brown eyes losing their luster.
A dark, filthy, and decadent atmosphere descends silently, bringing a brief period of negativity, yet within it, the chaotic consciousness finds a rare moment of relative clarity, quickly regaining its inherent qualities.
All the "evil" aspects suddenly quieted down, the restless shadows and the flesh and blood about to cross the barrier between illusion and reality also faded away, and all the deep blackness stagnated on a lower plane, connected to each other, as still as a deep well, as if it existed only in a corner of an ocean of fantasy.
The seven heads, which originated from the same source but were slightly different from each other, trembled, and the pulsating crimson among them even expressed a kind of personified unease.
The ruler of the shadowy veil silently observed His messenger, whose mouth-like opening still trembled as if trying to say something.
In the end, however, He said nothing. Instead, as was customary, the head in the central position swallowed the "key" containing Klein Moretti's blood, thus confirming Klein's identity.
Then, just like in the previous management processes, the true Creator withdrew his energy here. The "Three-Headed Sanctuary" lost the support from the top of the path and was no longer able to maintain the image of the shadow veil. The profoundness covering the entire temple collapsed instantly, and everything returned to its original state.
"...Praise be to you, loving Father of all beings, all-knowing and all-powerful God."
"You are the beginning of everything great, you are the creator of the golden age."
"You are the light of hope, you are the starting fire."
"Great God of Gods, Ruler of the vast star realm, Your faithful servant, Your brave warrior, praises Your mercy and uniqueness."
The anomaly was over, but Taylor Franz was still praying.
He was no longer the emotionally unstable man he once was, and his piety had not diminished but instead become even more steadfast.
Having regained consciousness, Klein moved his slightly stiff body, feeling his flesh and blood becoming increasingly excited and strong. At the same time, he also discovered another surprise within his spirit.
It was as if a seed had merged with his spirit, exerting a continuous positive influence on him from an invisible level.
Sure enough, the true creator took this opportunity to do something...
This was within Klein's expectations, and he was not afraid of the expected success.
Having been a member of the "Aurora Society" for so long, he finds it hard to understand why the true creator is only now attempting to directly influence them.
If the true Creator had any ideas, He could have long ago commanded His messengers or angels to help Him put them into practice, instead of dragging it out until Klein was completely on His side.
However, isn't Colonel Taylor's prayer of praise different from the one that Silver City has always kept?
When Klein first obtained the so-called holy book left by the Creator from the "Sun", he discovered that the prayers popular in the Aurora Society and the later Silver City, which also pointed to the Creator of the Glorious Era rather than the current true Creator, differed in several places from the most popular ones in the Glorious Era.
In the Tertiary period, the Creator's name was still:
"The Creator of all things, the all-knowing and all-powerful God;"
"You are the source of all greatness; you are the beginning and the end."
"You are the God of Gods, you are the ruler of the vast star realm."
But now, it has become the version that Colonel Taylor mentioned.
The focus shifted from praising God's authority and absolute power to praising His mercy and silent suffering after His fall as the true Creator.
Perhaps there was also a longing for the past, but Klein instinctively felt that it wasn't the most important part of the name.
"As far as I know, this isn't the most commonly used honorific title within the empire?"
Klein didn't keep all the questions to himself, but instead tried to probe Colonel Taylor's attitude in a gentler way.
Having just experienced an emotional breakdown, the colonel made an inverted cross on his chest, opened his face, still wet with tears, his expression a mixture of sigh and joy.
"After all, the Lord has not yet regained all authority, and He dislikes the omniscience and omnipotence aspect of the various praises given to believers."
During a major mass in a past year, Pope Ulrich, the "Angel of Fate," spoke these words on behalf of the Lord to the high-ranking officials of the Church and the Empire.
"Our Lord created everything. The world arose because of Him, and all living beings arose because of Him. Do not think that the title of 'Father of All Beings' is just something imposed to accommodate the vampire faith. From the moment our Lord descended to earth, He has been the father of all living beings. This is an indisputable fact."
"Believers often refer to Him as the 'Lord of the Curtain of Shadows,' which is a form of praise and gratitude for the Lord's initiative in bearing the sins of the world. These written praises all point to Him, and no matter how ornate the words are, they are not enough to compare with His greatness. It doesn't matter which honorific name you choose; only piety is valuable."
Piety… Klein nodded slightly, both to express his agreement and satisfaction with the answer.
"That's it?"
Taylor Franz followed Klein's gaze and looked at the "Three Heads Sanctuary" in the shrine.
"This is the core of the branch. As long as you gain the Lord's approval and leave your mark in the shrine, you will have obtained the same permission as me."
After explaining this, Taylor Franz bowed again before turning around and leading Klein back, just as he had done on the way there.
The illusory doorway in the solid wall opened and closed, and out of the "Holy Ark," Taylor slowed his pace slightly, paused for a moment, glanced at the "Hell General" who had been following Klein, and spoke.
"Ludwell is very famous; you need to disguise yourself to him."
"Your teacher must have left you some sealed artifacts from Ludwell's collection, right?"
"Logistics can help you allocate Ludwell's equipment and avoid unnecessary impact."
As he spoke, Taylor suddenly frowned, examined the object more closely for a moment, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.
Where are his weapons?
"The necessary sacrifices to unite with Edwina Edwards." Klein didn't want to explain too much and make things awkward, so he coughed lightly.
The suggestion to impersonate Ludwell coincided with his own thoughts. He had indeed been troubled by Ludwell's obvious features. Now that Colonel Taylor had taken the initiative, aside from the unexpected awkwardness, the conversation had to continue.
Under Klein's manipulation, Ludwell, who had been keeping silent, finally made some unnecessary movements.
He removed the silver mask from his face, revealing part of his true appearance.
The pale light illuminated the passageway, and Taylor, unaffected, glanced at the distinctive mask, his amber eyes narrowing slightly.
"interesting."