cracks shattered the sacred beauty, and deep blue and black-red seeped into the surface of the thin-walled porcelain, tearing apart the simulated tendons and flesh, dividing the youth's body into inch by inch. Within it lingered gelatinous water, stubbornly maintaining the integrity of this great work of art in the last second before it collapsed.
Once a part of the "mysterious god," the mottled eyes of the "calamity" reflect the meaningless horror and astonishment of mortals; unchanging indifference is the best form of contempt.
"He is the head of miracles, the favor of fate, the reflection of the folly of all things, and the greatness that transcends the spiritual."
"The Lord said that when time begins to flow again and the heavens shatter and collapse, He will be the first light of the end times."
Trislana gazed at the god who was both so close and so far away, seemingly unsurprised by His awakening.
"The 'God of Miracles' has left his shadow on the ocean. He should have been asleep, but he has recently awakened. That is why I said you cannot bring back that 'natural disaster' now."
"Awakening? You mean it's no longer just a sealed object, but has gained complete self-awareness?"
In Klein's eyes, the broken deity behind the mirror gave him a feeling similar to the one who usually sat atop the gray mist. Both were equally lofty and gave people a sense of detachment from reality and unreality.
"Of course not. No 'Calamity' would willingly squander its freedom; unleashing waves of fear and disaster is their instinct." Trislana refuted Klein's irresponsible speculation. "Rather than saying it has gained full consciousness, you should see its awakening as a further activation of the sealed artifact."
"The human body is an excellent vessel. The remains of extraordinary creatures that die often release the characteristics they ingested before their death. However, if no one removes them, the characteristics will eventually return to the deceased's body and combine with a part of the body or the complete corpse. The former is what the public perceives as an uncontrollable substance with extremely high activity and dangerous negative effects, while the latter is similar to a living corpse in a broad sense."
As if to confirm Trislana's judgment and explanation, the "calamity" in the mirror, after its initial distraction, no longer paid attention to the two's actions.
He turned his head toward the blurred distance in the image. Judging from the direction and frequency of the water curtain's ripples, Klein guessed that what was surrounding the "catastrophe" was probably a storm.
In short, the "Cataclysm" began its daily work with great efficiency. Countless points of light broke away from the distant storm, and lightning and gales constantly shot into the sky. The points of light that came into contact with the "Cataclysm" disappeared together, and new points of light constantly joined the process.
"Is this a prayer?"
Having pretended to be the "Fool" for some time, Klein discovered that the essence of the many points of light surrounding the "Calamity" might be the same as the essence of the crimson stars embedded in the dome of the Gray Mist Palace.
"Yes."
Trislana glanced at Klein, who was intently observing the "catastrophe" activities, then reached into her wide robe with her left hand and pulled out a silver badge about the size of a thumb, decorated with cat's eye stones.
No, it shouldn't be called a badge. The silver object that Trislana held between two fingers was more like the jade disc that Klein was familiar with, only much smaller in size. The jade part was completely replaced by silver, and a cat's eye stone was embedded in the hollow center.
"During the Solomon Empire, the 'Black Emperor' and the Creator allowed us to retain ownership of the island of Sonia. In return, we were to fulfill our obligations to the 'Black Emperor' just like the nobles of that time."
"The Rothschild Islands were an important maritime defense line. At that time, maritime transport was underdeveloped, and only we and the believers of the false gods could roam freely at sea. The 'Black Emperor' disliked the false gods, so we were sent to the Rothschild Islands to monitor the believers of the false gods who were hiding in the vicinity."
"The ruins behind the mirror were built at that time. Later, the 'God of Miracles' suddenly disappeared, and the false god and his allies overthrew the 'Black Emperor.' We had to evacuate the surface of the Rosed Islands and move into the deep sea. In the rush, many things could not be taken with us and had to be destroyed..."
The mirror returned to its eerie state of being completely blank. Trislana handed the jade-shaped silver ornament to Klein, speaking in a slow, irritating manner.
"The Queen told us that before the 'God of Miracles' disappeared, He left the shadow of the past on the 'Cataclysm,' so the ruins were not destroyed. Instead, several angels, including the Queen, worked together to sink them into a special space that was neither entirely in reality nor entirely in the spirit world."
"The Rosd people's worship of the so-called 'sea god' is a story for later. Like us, they have never truly come into contact with 'natural disasters' since then. Even the divine pronouncements they received were vague and dreamlike. The only difference is that we can communicate with 'natural disasters' simply by using items left behind by the 'god of miracles' and praying for divine power, while the Rosd people can only tremble and prostrate themselves under his unpredictable moods."
As Trislana recounted her story with a heavy heart, Klein felt a strange unease. The history told by the elven high priest overturned his previous assumptions.
The sudden change in the nature of the "natural disaster" meant that this angelic-level sealed artifact was no longer a simple deterrent weapon, but had been transformed into a highly unstable bomb.
For thousands of years, even the elves could not truly communicate with the "natural disasters," but now the shadows in the ruins have begun to respond to prayers on their own initiative.
How can this be recycled?
"At this point, we have no other choice, do we?"
Trislana frowned slightly, her rosy lips curved upwards slightly, and her intense gaze exerted only pressure on Klein.
"The shadow of the 'God of Miracles' chose to respond, blindly and foolishly throwing himself into the war between the Roths and the Runes, and standing with another group of believers who had been praying to him all along."
"Before you came, you were thinking about what words you would use to persuade us to step down from the stands and join the impending war. Now, that's no longer necessary."
"Under these unforeseen circumstances, we, like the Rothschilds a few days ago, no longer have the power to choose."
"Give Klein a look and let him see the silver badge he just received," Trislana said.
"You are a chosen one of the 'God of Miracles' and the only one who might come into contact with the 'Catastrophe'."
"Whether you continue to help the Rosd people or not, the spirits here will obey your will."
As she spoke, Trislana bent her straight back and gave a slight bow.
"Agent, please tell the shepherds of the Creator on the islands that the elves are ready for war and await your command."
...
"Old man, why is the church sending us to the Southern Continent?"
At 3 p.m. Backlund time, accompanied by the heavy chimes carried through the smog, the capital of Loen welcomed the end of midday. The entire city began to darken, and the many respectable middle-class people in Hillston, the country's financial center, resumed their busy work after a short lunch break.
As Leonard walked past the facades of trust companies and railroad companies, getting closer to his destination, he tilted his head and lowered his voice towards the empty space on his right.
"The war on the highlands shouldn't be so serious that it requires a large number of extraordinary individuals to provide support, right?"
From the moment the Second Empire of Trensost declared war until today, the war has only lasted three days. The country of Rune is peaceful and there is hardly any sign of the war's impact.
Aside from some Hainan Airlines businessmen and investors who were somewhat panicked, most of the citizens of Ruen continued their unchanging daily routines, going about their business as usual.
Have you ever heard a story about self-deception?
"Leonard's 'cohabitant,' a veteran on the extraordinary path," Palles Zoroaster suddenly said in a deep voice, his slow tone revealing the unease of this old monster who had lived for countless years.
"I remember that was a story from the Quaternary period, which spread throughout the Solomon Empire?"
Leonard's answer surprised Pales, but he didn't investigate why his host's knowledge level had suddenly increased, and continued speaking to himself.
"The Seven Gods sealed off communication between the two continents, guarding against the spread of foreign ideas within the countries they ruled, and created a world for you that consisted almost entirely of the Northern Continent, with other regions seemingly insignificant."
"Think carefully, how much do you know about that country in East Bairan?"
Leonard quickly recalled several images flashing through his mind and realized that, just as the old man had said, he really didn't know much about the other side of the continent.
After thinking about the few Ternsost people he had met, Leonard tentatively asked.
"Is the control over extraordinary beings in Trensost not as strict as it is on the Northern Continent?"
Palles nodded where Leonard couldn't see him.
"I've told you a lot about my own experiences in the past, and you just listened to them as stories?"
"One of the most powerful angels under the throne of the true Creator, the 'Red Angel' Medici, commands an army composed entirely of extraordinary beings, including 'Hunters,' 'Warriors,' and 'Mystics'... encompassing most pathways. Their complementary strengths make it difficult to find any weaknesses, making them a veritable 'Iron Wall.'"
"Although I don't know how many extraordinary beings are in Augustus's army, it is clear that 'arbitrators' and 'lawyers' are their middle forces, and these two paths are not very suitable for direct combat."
Palestine analyzed Leonard's doubts, his tone stiff.
"The newspapers are lying through their teeth. The equipment of Trensost and Rune... to use their invented new terminology, the generational gap isn't that big at all. Even if it were, Medici would find a way to make up for it with extraordinary power."
"An army led by an angel king who was born for war and was almost synonymous with war itself, against an ordinary army without angels in command, you can guess who will win even without thinking."
Leonard still doesn't understand.
"But the order issued by the Holy Church only mobilizes two 'Red Gloves' teams. The Church of Storms might send more squads, but they're just a group of mid-ranking soldiers. Even if they go, it won't change anything, right?"
"Could it be that His Holiness the Pope or the royal angels will also participate in the war?"
The outline of St. Samuel's Church in the North District became clearer in the fog. Leonard decided not to go any further. He looked around, turned around and went around an inconspicuous alley. He was determined not to stop until he had a result with the old man. He could just keep going in circles.
"Perhaps he has already gone."
Palez Zoroaster's answer was ambiguous, as if his mind was not on the conversation at all.
"For the next period of time, if the Creator in the South does not have any other prepared means, the Church of the Seven Gods will continue to send reinforcements to the Southern Continent until the defensive forces remaining in the country are on the verge of breaking the deadlock in maintaining social stability."
"Yeah..."
Despite it being a question, Leonard seemed resigned, nodding repeatedly in a daze.
The Seven Churches had been fighting for over a thousand years, which seemed absurd to a young man in his early twenties who had been educated by nuns in a church orphanage since childhood.
Twenty years ago, the old woman kept saying that the "God of War" was an absolute heretic, that His followers were barbarians and enemies who had to be defeated. Now everyone was going to stand together against the true Creator.
It's unbelievable, just like the savior of Tingen who was actually a believer of the real Creator from beginning to end.
As Leonard pondered, his vacant eyes followed a migratory bird slowly moving through the smog in the distance. After a moment, his emerald eyes suddenly narrowed, and he perked up.
"By the way, old man."
"I was just thinking..."
"Thinking about your former colleague?"
Leonard's lips twitched as Pales read his mind, and he maliciously wondered if the old man had been spying on his thoughts when he wasn't looking.
"Yes…" Leonard admitted first, then hurriedly said, "The only time I fought a follower of the true Creator was in Tingen, the one with the circus."
Leonard hesitated and stammered.
"I feel that even though the sequences are the same, we have no way to deal with them when they fight."
"Oh, you think that counts as a battle?" Pales mercilessly exposed the last bit of face Leonard had left for the 'Night Watchers', and said sarcastically, "The complete 'Night Watchers' team faced only two mid-sequence and two low-sequence opponents, and you didn't even manage to touch them once from start to finish."
"'Diviners' and 'thieves' are not exactly good at fighting; they are far more vulnerable than 'sleepless' and 'corpse collectors.' If you had encountered the true messengers of the Creator that day, you wouldn't have even been able to walk out of the circus tent."
"But I'm about to go to the Southern Continent, where I'll be facing enemies that might be even stronger than the circus."
Leonard knew he couldn't refute Palles's sarcasm.
There was no way around it; on the day Duke Negan was assassinated, reality proved for the second time before his eyes the power of the true Creator God.
"Moreover, once I reach the Southern Continent, besides the followers of the true Creator, I might even encounter Ince Zangville..."
As he spoke, Leonard's voice gradually faded until it was almost silent.
After the smog, the church found no further information about Ince Zangwell. Later, with the outbreak of the Highlands War, many people, though they didn't say it, had actually given up on the idea of hunting down the defector.
Perhaps Ince Zangwell died in the smog?
Too many people died that day. There were extraordinary beings and demigods among them, and maybe he was one of them.
Some of the "night watchmen" gave up with this mindset, because the war at hand was far more important than Ince Zangwell.
But Leonard couldn't give up, especially after he returned from Tingen and dug up Klein Moretti's grave.
That guy is still alive, active somewhere in the world, probably on the battlefield of the Southern Continent.
By now, Leonard has given up trying to convince himself that Klein Moretti did not betray the goddess, but he still insists that Klein Moretti did not betray Blackthorn Security.
The old man once said that when the smog broke out, the ones who contributed the most and protected the most ordinary people were actually the true Creator and His apostles.
Klein must have been involved at the time, fighting against the witch's plot in his own way, just like they were back in Tingen.
Ince Zangwell defected for a promotion. He wanted to continue his journey, and the most likely destination was the Southern Continent, since the Church had already searched the north and the sea, but found no trace of him.
If Klein had heard Ince Zangwell's message, he would surely have hunted down that traitor as well...
Leonard stood silently for a moment, then took a deep breath.
That would be his only chance; he had to find Klein and get to the bottom of things.