"The one responsible for giving birth must be the person enchanted by it, regardless of gender. This doll is exceptionally sinister."
Klein shivered inexplicably. He recalled an incident he encountered in the Rorsted Archipelago, where a person affected by the Mother Tree of Desire kept clamoring to have a child with him.
"I wonder if the mixed elements in this doll come from the Mother Tree of Desire or the Primordial Moon. They both seem to enjoy making others have children."
As he muttered, Klein saw an illusory crimson star light up. Before he could react, streams of golden water surged out from the illusory star, converging into a golden figure full of chaos and distortion.
How can one after another bypass the Gray Fog and appear directly before me? Although this isn't the true Sefirah Castle, it's a place radiated by its power. This is too disrespectful.
Klein grumbled inwardly while controlling the power of Sefirah Castle to try and repel the golden figure.
The golden figure was like an non-existent entity, showing no signs of being repelled. Instead, he observed Klein with interest. After a long while, he finally spoke:
"You are indeed not Mysteries."
The golden figure's words made Klein pause. He sat expressionlessly in the high-backed chair and scoffed:
"You are very confident."
The golden figure crossed his arms over his chest and said in a low voice, "Originally, I wasn't sure, but now I can confirm it."
Damn it, I've been tricked—this thought flashed through Klein's mind. He began to ponder the other party's origin. There weren't many existences that could invade above the Gray Fog and also know the former Lord of the Mysteries. Is he that unlucky Genie?
Looking at the golden figure filled with a sense of chaos and distortion before him, Klein became more convinced of his guess. This chaotic and distorted feeling was somewhat similar to Roselle's, originating from the distortion of rules.
Stopping his wandering thoughts, Klein looked at the Genie who had appeared before him and suddenly relaxed considerably. A Genie still sealed would not be able to threaten him above the Gray Fog. The greater possibility was that he was thrown up here by Leyton or Roselle, or perhaps, he came to seek cooperation.
Having figured this out, Klein's mindset immediately relaxed. He tapped the edge of the table twice with his finger and asked with a smile:
"What kind of cooperation are you seeking?"
The golden figure shook his head, his tone unchanged:
"No, it's not me. Rather, what kind of cooperation are you seeking? Give me satisfactory compensation, and I will fulfill your wish."
"The fulfillment of your wishes should rely on the Miracle Invoker characteristic used to seal you. Even if you have the Great Old One's status, being sealed limits the wishes you can fulfill. Moreover, we lack the necessary foundation of trust."
Klein shook his head, unmoved by the Genie's proposal.
The Genie seemed unsurprised by Klein's attitude and continued to persuade:
"I hope that damned deceiver never truly revives, and the emergence of a new Lord of the Mysteries is the best way to prevent his resurrection. On this point, I will not deceive you, nor do I need to deceive you. This is the basis for our cooperation."
"Furthermore, I can help you quickly complete the ritual and become an Attendant of Mysteries. With an Error already present, becoming the Fool as soon as possible is your only way out of this predicament."
"Or, are you willing to surrender everything to that malicious Error and continue to bear the corresponding fate?"
Klein smiled and shook his head, saying, "I have many allies. You are not the only, nor the best, choice."
"Oh? It seems you intend to refuse my cooperation."
As his voice fell, the Genie's figure began to shrink back.
Klein paid no attention to the Genie's actions and continued to speak unhurriedly:
"Not necessarily. You can also state your conditions first. If suitable, I can consider it."
As his words fell, the Genie indeed stopped. He looked deeply at Klein on the high-backed chair, then said:
"My only request is to send me back to the Cosmos. I will only take what belongs to me; the remaining Beyonder characteristics will be yours, and I will grant you one additional wish."
"One wish in exchange for your freedom? Isn't that a bit too easy? Also, if I remember correctly, your current holder should be Bernadette. What would happen to her if I made a wish to you?"
Klein neither agreed nor refused, continuing to chat with the Genie, extracting information while pondering how to persuade the Genie to help him.
The Genie said in a not-so-good tone, "Don't be too greedy, young man. One wish is already enough to change your current predicament."
Klein ignored the Genie's tone and instead retorted, "Heh, it seems the wish I make will also be recorded on Bernadette, won't it?"
If you dare to scheme against Bernadette like this, a certain father who dotes on his daughter will ensure you never leave the magical lamp for the rest of your life.
"You can take your time to consider. Come find me when you've made up your mind. For existences like us, time is not important."
The Genie did not answer Klein's question, simply said a casual remark, and then left above the Gray Fog through the constantly expanding and contracting crimson star.
At this point, Klein finally had the energy to focus on the prayer content within this illusory star, which originated from Lady Hermit's prayer regarding Utopia's situation.
After two seconds of thought, he extended his spirituality and established contact with Cattleya, The Hermit, saying in a calm tone:
"This is a ritual."
Inside the Future's captain's cabin, Cattleya paced to the window, looking at the crew members on deck who were still discussing Utopia's delicious food, her expression somewhat complex.
As a hidden saint of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, her authority within the church was second only to a few Angels. She could access most of the archives and records collected by the church, including information on humanities, customs, cities, and forces across the Northern and Southern continents and the Five Seas.
"In all the information I've checked, there's no city called Utopia at all. Moreover, there's no corresponding area in the Spirit World. This city seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and it's full of strangeness."
"Whose ritual is Mr. Fool referring to? Perhaps 'The World' knows something. Should I ask him?"
As she muttered to herself, she noticed a jet-black crow flying over the sea.
"Why would there be crows at sea?"
As she muttered in a low voice, the Clairvoyant's spiritual intuition was suddenly triggered. She saw a disaster approaching.
Silent for two seconds, her voice suddenly echoed throughout the ship:
"Prepare to set sail. Get away from this sea area."
In the main hall of the ancient palace on the main peak of the Hornacis Mountains.
Waves of information surged from outside, recombining into Leyton's figure beside a crow with shiny black feathers and a white ring around its right eye.
He looked curiously at the crow, which was staring intently at the sleeping figure in the hall, and asked with little emotion:
"Are you planning to steal the Fool's Uniqueness and a portion of the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic, so that the Fool who controls Sefirah Castle can at most only become a King of Angels?"
Amon nodded and smiled candidly:
"How about it? What do you think of this idea? If he can't truly become the Fool, he won't be qualified to contend with me in the final struggle. If I just delay a bit longer, for the sake of the Lord of the Mysteries's appearance, you'll have no choice but to make concessions."
Leyton casually retorted with an expressionless face:
"Why do you think you can successfully steal the Uniqueness and Beyonder characteristics here under the gaze of Evernight?"
"Either save the Beyonder characteristics or save the person; you have to choose one," Amon said with a shrug, speaking very frankly.
As he spoke, pure starlight flowed from his black eyes, outlining layers of illusory doors.
At this instant, all matters and concepts related to the Door in the entire world were shut.
With banging sounds, all the palace's doors and windows simultaneously shut tight, and the inner and outer spaces separated, as if a layer of seal had been applied from the inside out.
At the same time, on the uppermost seat of the palace, Antigonus, from whom slippery tentacles extended from beneath his clothing, became exceptionally quiet, as if every Worm of Spirit on his body had fallen into the deepest dream, and each of those tentacles had quieted down.
In the hall, one Amon after another walked out of the air. They simultaneously extended their right hands towards Antigonus in front of them, their palms cupped as if pulling something.
Leyton did not stop Amon. Without the support of his Astral World true body, he simply couldn't stop Amon.
He turned to gaze at the palace's great door, and within his eyes, complex and illusory symbols condensed, causing waves of clear starlight to silently bloom around him, washing towards the palace door.
An Amon suddenly appeared in front, reaching out and grasping the starlight Leyton had created. As the monocle on his face flashed with a white light, the floating starlight instantly vanished.
In a hotel in Utopia's Dock District, Darrell, still immersed in pleasure, suddenly awoke from a nightmare. He dreamed that he was pregnant and gave birth to a sinister baby with pointed horns and webbed wings.
He sat on the bed, somewhat dazed, breathing heavily. The dream just now had been too real.
When he came to his senses, he suddenly felt an emptiness in his heart, an unprovoked sadness, as if he had lost the most important thing in his life.
His mind paused for a second as if short-circuited, then he suddenly came to his senses, tumbling off the bed and picking up the leather handbag on the table. The exquisite doll that had been inside was already gone.
"It's gone! It's gone!"
"Who stole her? Who?!"
Darrell clutched his head in agony and sat on the floor, phantom sobs and moans echoing in his mind. His heart ached, as if he could already see the doll being possessed by someone else.