Even the most powerful extraordinary beings, once they enter the realm of spiritual vision, can only observe what they see based on their initial, visual feedback. Before transcending the biological level and reaching another level of life, namely "mythical beings," all users of extraordinary powers are bound by this fundamental logic.
After receiving the "natural disaster," Klein was deeply moved by it.
Even though his vision has been expanded thousands of times by the "Cataclysmic" rank, allowing him to observe the entire Rothschild Islands, or rather, the actions of most creatures within the barrier, in their entirety.
However, he was still troubled by the pain that threatened to break his body, and his originally clear spiritual vision was occasionally interrupted by white spots or noise.
Fortunately, apart from the "natural disaster," the "victims" that are constantly overflowing and polluting Klein's body are still playing a role.
This high-sequence sealed artifact of the "Diviner" pathway not only torments Klein's mind and body, but also provides some convenience.
For example, even without deliberately using the abilities of the "victims," the spiritual lines within Klein's field of vision far exceeded the limits of the "Master of Puppets."
He could capture a spiritual thread a hundred meters away at any time if he wanted to, but the subsequent control process would still require the help of the "victims".
Like an evolutionary process, Klein inadvertently embarked on the same path as the ancestors of the Dark Ages, before the creation of the Profaned Stone and when humans tested medicines on themselves.
Without the support of rituals or the sharing of auxiliary materials, relying entirely on the physical body and spiritual will, they gradually probed the pollution contained within the extraordinary characteristics, which was called evolution but was actually an unknown monster, allowing it to transform every part of the body.
In the attempt to embrace divinity, the first step has been taken.
Strangely, Tracy and "Admiral Star" are not at sea; they have gone to the jungle... In a vision that defies the laws of reality, Klein gazes at the horizon shrouded in white mist while looking down from the sky.
He saw the disease of the "witch," symbolizing black iron, roaming through the trees of the rainforest, and he also saw the deep purple and cobalt blue, the dreamlike colors symbolizing the "secret seeker," blooming frequently.
The two targets were not far apart, only about 300 meters apart. There were also many scattered groups of Ironblood and Crimson around the largest symbolic "color cluster".
Taylor Franz was indeed on the front lines... and Tristan Eugen was there too, he actually went straight to "Aquaman"...
Klein squinted. Although he didn't need to enhance his vision through physical movements, the habits he had retained over twenty years of life couldn't be changed overnight.
To be honest, Tristan's choice was beyond his expectations.
In his memory, that remnant of the Fourth Age, the ambitious man who was only one step away from becoming an angel, or rather, the avenger, never really put himself in a dangerous position.
Just like the sequence he later chose—"Ancient Scholar"—he preferred to hide in the fog of reality, manipulating the puppets he controlled to test and fight.
However, how long has Klein known Tristan? How long has he been in this world?
Compared to the ancient monster who had lived for thousands of years, what he saw was mostly one-sided, a personal opinion based on conjecture from a few official matters.
I should act too… I looked away, enduring the excruciating pain in my head. Klein's face twitched, the cracks running down his face contorting together, making him look extremely distressed.
However, his actions naturally contradicted his expression.
With the help of "natural disaster" and his special spiritual form, the black emperor easily flew into the sky, with air currents surrounding him, mist forming his banner, and fine lightning flashing below.
Well, just considering the numbers on paper, Tristan and Taylor are enough to deal with the existing Loen army and demigods on the Rothschild Islands... Although the Central Sonia fleet has arrived, they seem to have been divided into two sections by a barrier when they entered the near sea. Only the capital ships and a few escorts entered, while the ironclad ships carrying supplies and more soldiers were all left outside...
Once you get used to the pain, thinking becomes a simple thing again, especially after you have a holistic perspective.
Klein decided to ignore the fleet lingering at the edge of the barrier for the time being.
He will quell the conflict on Blue Mountain Island in the shortest possible time, and to do so, he must venture deep into the jungle, which has become the heart of the battlefield.
Even though one of the island's most powerful demigods, Arne Coltman, was still at the Wave Church in Bayam, a lone general could hardly influence the course of the battle. Once the governor's forces, which comprised eighty percent of the total garrison in southeast Bayam, were defeated, the battle would be over.
Klein flew rapidly through the sky, breaking the sound barrier every now and then, and arrived at his destination in just two or three seconds.
But instead of acting immediately, he gazed at the burning battlefield below and fell into deep thought once again.
He cannot rely on the power of "natural disasters".
The moment he raised the scepter, he knew that his body was already on the countdown to destruction.
The more he wields this power, the closer he is to death.
The negative effects of the "Scepter of Calamity" are inextricably linked to the first "death" of the "God of Mystery".
The "Phoenix Ancestor" Greta Garley somehow killed the "God of Mystery," stripping the "Calamity" from His body and imbuing this storm-path angel with the concept of death.
If left unchecked, the scepter in Klein's hand could unleash a spiritual storm in the real world at any moment, accompanied by the death winds blowing from the underworld, turning all living beings into slaves of the scepter and servants of death.
This is just the most alarming negative effect, not the whole picture.
In the end, only the "victims" can use it. Ha, is the fate of the "fortune teller" to be an assistant... Faced with this sudden, absurd idea, Klein's tightly pursed lips curled up slightly.
The air behind him suddenly solidified, propelling the Black Emperor downwards, plunging him headlong into the battlefield.
...
The steel giant wields his spear, reaping the lives of his enemies in the blink of an eye.
At the leader's command, flaming spears were thrown from all directions. These spearmen were hidden in the black smoke rising from the burning jungle, and each shot was deadly.
The intelligence agents of the archipelago branch, who had retreated from the "Red of War," relied on their cunning schemes and years of accumulated experience to hold the line despite being outnumbered and facing overwhelming odds with their native allies, Fira, and even secretly pushing forward.
While equipment advantages certainly played a role, it was clearly the superior skill of the "hunters" that determined the current situation.
Taylor Franz had not experienced the joy that war brought him up close for too long.
He dislikes war.
Admittedly, this statement sounds incredibly contradictory no matter how you look at it, but it is indeed the truth.
Taylor, a descendant of a family that rose to prominence during the expansionist wars of the Tronsust Empire, inherited the surname of "War Bishop" Therena Franz. He himself became one of the most prominent figures outside the inner circle of the empire due to his military achievements, and was undoubtedly a beneficiary of the war.
However, from a personal emotional perspective, Taylor's views on war were complex.
He genuinely loved the art of this gathering, loved the moment when the furnace of fire and steel burned away evil heretics, enjoyed the glory after every victory in "Red of War," and admired His Highness Medici, the "Angel of War."
In his youth, he had unwaveringly proclaimed himself the most loyal supporter of acts of war.
But as he grew older and gained more experience, he increasingly felt that war, conspiracy, and friendly exchanges were all just means to an end, and in the present day, they were more of an extension of politics.
Even His Highness Medici cannot fight recklessly just for the sake of personal pleasure.
After the final war to maintain stability, the empire's territory had become vast, and the situation had stabilized.
If there are wars in the future, besides fighting evil gods, all that will remain is to "reclaim" lost territory.
It's not about restoring the glory of Trensost or the "Night King," but about restoring the dreamlike, beautiful era of the Third Age, the "Golden Age," a time I never experienced but grew up listening to legends about.
All living beings under heaven are fellow citizens of the Creator, his brothers and sisters.
After that last joyous celebration for honor, he would turn his sword and gun against his "brothers and sisters" who had been seduced by heresy and rebellion.
He abhorred the betrayals and acts of war that led to the fall of the Creator, and he hated the endless chaos. So he chose a transfer that was almost self-exile, withdrawing from the "Red of War".
Under the complex gaze of Prince Medici, and after being persuaded by Prince Avel to stay, he chose to go overseas to a small island to end his remaining years and dedicate his final value to the Creator.
This kind of thinking, which is almost heretical among "hunters," means that he will never have a chance to be promoted.
Ha, how ironic. Even though I had such thoughts, I still couldn't stop my anger whenever I saw the stupidity of the Rune people. Killing them actually gave me pleasure... Taylor raised his arm, his steel-like body and the spear in his hand maintaining the same hardness. With just a simple movement of bending his elbow and thrusting forward, he easily broke through the black heavy armor on the "Punishment Knight".
Count Eugen has held off "Sea King," and so far, no other demigod has appeared on the battlefield besides him. Occasionally, one or two level-one sealed artifacts have only hindered his progress.
Seeing the resentment and regret of the "Punishment Knight" helmet shattered, the over-eighty Taylor, like a street thug in Trier, kicked the corpse in the groin and spat in the face of the dead Rune soldier.
"Now you regret it, you son of a bitch."
He paused for a moment, and after a brief, unseemly outburst, turned his body slightly to the side, following the increasingly piercing sound of something cutting through the air.
The black emperor descending from the sky did not cause Taylor any tension.
He intervened to stop the panicked reactions of his nearby subordinates, calmed their flustered speculations with gestures, and walked over with leisurely steps.
The reason is simple: the emperor's scepter and the "victims" in his hands are too conspicuous.
It would be difficult for Taylor not to guess the visitor's identity.
"It seems everything is going well on your end, Mr. V."
Taylor's effortless performance contrasted sharply with Klein's tense and fearful demeanor.
"Colonel, we need to deal with Rune's army within five minutes. Rothschild cannot afford to continue like this."
Klein's serious tone slightly startled Taylor.
The seasoned colonel pondered carefully, his amber eyes sweeping over the distant smoke and the few blank spaces in the mental connection.
Those were the natives' positions and the trenches under the command of the two pirate generals.
Following Tristan's instructions, he accepted the pirate general who had expressed a willingness to pledge allegiance to the Empire and decided to provide assistance to the two women, protecting their privacy to the greatest extent possible so that the news of their defection to Trensust would not spread after the war, making the weaker pirate general and his fleet the target of the northern continent's nations.
This was not only a gesture of goodwill towards those who sought refuge, but also a consideration of the empire's future interests.
Two ambiguous pieces are far more valuable than troops laid out in the open.
"Your Excellency, if you want to take control of the battlefield within five minutes, it's not difficult. But I need to remind you that this decision means you will have to face two Sequence 5s who are manipulating a Level 1 sealed artifact, just like I have."
Like Klein, who suddenly became serious for some reason, Taylor also used a formal title.
As a demigod, fighting against a Sequence 5 who relied on a demigod-level seal was certainly not difficult for him; however, he was not entirely at ease with the inexperienced divine messenger.
After all, judging from his resume, this divine messenger mostly seems to be a carefree second-generation rich kid relying on his "father's legacy".
"Don't worry, I'm confident."
Klein slightly raised his scepter in a gesture.
He then added.
"Just to be on the safe side, do you think we need to call in reinforcements?"
"Reinforcements?"
Taylor was surprised and looked around.
Where are there any reinforcements around here?
However, he did not refute Klein's abrupt suggestion, and nodded seriously.
"If you think it's necessary."
After the agreement was reached, a smile appeared on Klein's face, which was contorted with pain.
His black, sturdy gauntlets rippled with water, and the "victim" prostrate on his shoulder raised his head. The master and servant, one in front and one behind, issued a summons to the attendant waiting in the void in front of Taylor Franz.
The whistle of death and the ancient flute sounded at the same time.
The "Hounds of Fortune" stepped into reality in accordance with their master's will. The army of the dead stood ready. A massive skeleton crawled out from the ground. After an initial daze, the half-human, half-snake army leader bowed his head and submitted to the young emperor who carried the scent of his master.
"This is..."
Taylor watched this scene in surprise, then went from being stunned to understanding, and finally let out a hearty laugh.
"Hahahaha, Your Excellency, you really are."
He shook his head, his laughter both cruel and satisfying.
"Your teacher has found a good student. He truly deserves the title of 'Death Archon.' His sense of smell as a ruler is far superior to mine, a self-taught individual."
After a moment of reflection, Taylor gripped his spear tightly.
"Mr. Klein Moretti, I apologize for my previous doubts and rejection of you."
"My colleague, please lend a hand, after all, most of my subordinates are just mortals."
"They're all good young men, and they're looking forward to drinking with you at the victory celebration banquet."
Klein nodded slightly, then suddenly drew an irregular inverted cross on his chest.
"In the name of the Creator?"
Taylor paused for a moment, then burst into laughter again.
"In the name of the Creator."