The strange changes in the mausoleum left Klein, who had his eyes tightly shut and had his spirituality converged, momentarily unable to figure out what was happening. He wasn't sure if it was a preference or a bad one. Therefore, even though he had already recited the incantation and held the Fate Siphon charm in hand, he didn't dare rashly use it. He was afraid that it would cause negative effects and result in the opposite outcome.
One second, two seconds, three seconds. Klein felt that time was passing so slowly, as though an entire century had passed.
Finally, he heard Mr. Aztec's slightly hoarse and uncertain voice.
"It's you …"
Right on the heels of that, a monotonous voice that clearly belonged to a woman sounded.
"You have three choices:
"The first is to continue forward and seek completeness, allowing Salinger to be reborn from your body.
"The second is for me to help you extract that half of your soul and let you leave with it. Think of a way to stitch it up yourself. This will allow you to return to your original state. You won't die and revive again and again, but this doesn't mean that the current you will truly degenerate into a dream.
"The third is to give up everything and directly leave. You will forever be stuck at your current level, unable to advance any further. You will continue to die again and again, waking up again and again from the loss of all your memories, repeatedly searching for your past experiences."
Klein was taken aback when he heard that. He never expected that there would be an additional "person" deep in the mausoleum. Furthermore, she seemed to have absolute authority and could give him different choices. This left the former Death Consul, Aztec Eggers, with no choice but to make a decision.
This is the Artificial Death hidden in the depths of the black fog?
No, "He" didn't seem to have much intelligence to begin with. I didn't see "Him" attempt to communicate with "Him" even after all this time …
Extract that half of my soul and think of a way to stitch it up myself … What does that mean? Mr. Aztec's soul wasn't complete to begin with?
Where did I extract it from? The "lady" who spoke can actually do something that Mr. Aztec can't?
Also, who is Salinger? Why would he be reborn from Mr. Aztec's body? He … is "He" the Death that stirred up the Pale Disaster, Mr. Aztec's father or grandfather? "He" foresaw his own death, so he left a catalyst for resurrection in Mr. Aztec's body?
Both the second and third options have their own problems. One would no longer be who I am now and would become an unfamiliar 'me', while the other would forever suffer the curse of immortality, never to be freed … If I have confidence in myself and truly view my past lives as an anchor, then I can consider the second option, which is to reconcile with myself and compromise with myself … However, this involves the other half of my soul that has been separated from me, a soul that has never experienced those lives. There is no way to guess what will happen in the future, and the anchor may not be able to solve the problem …
Thoughts flashed through Klein's mind. He was puzzled, curious, troubled, and puzzled. However, he could only stand far away. He couldn't even watch from the side.
That was Aztec's life. It was the future he would face. No one else could make that decision for him.
Klein had already said what he needed to say. He stood there helplessly and worriedly, waiting for Mr. Aztec to speak.
Aztec looked at the beautiful hooded lady in front of him and didn't say a word for a long time. The pale flames in his eyes flickered.
The illusory yet real mountain-feathered serpent seemed to have sensed some ominous change. It suddenly whipped out its tail and swept its surroundings in a frenzy. It buried its head and opened its huge mouth, revealing dark red flesh and fangs stained with yellow oil. It spat out its pitch-black tongue and dark green mucus, wanting to devour Aztec Eggers.
However, all of "its" attempts failed to produce any effect. "It" seemed to live in another World!
Amidst the unsettling silence, Azik raised his right hand, rubbed his temples, and smiled calmly.
He smiled calmly and said, "Perhaps I'm already used to my present life. I choose the third option."
Just as he said that, the hooded lady opposite him clenched her fist and tightly gripped the bird-shaped golden accessory. Then, she slowly retracted her arm and pulled the ancient item out from the crack on Aztec's forehead.
Aztec's expression warped once again, as though he was enduring unimaginable pain.
Every drop of his blood and every muscle had a tiny bit of spirit seeping out, interweaving into a transparent soul body.
This soul body looked complete, but it was filled with a sense of disharmony and contradiction. This was because half of it was golden in color, from its eyebrows and eyes to its limbs. It had an ancient beauty to it.
As the bird-shaped accessory was pulled out, Aztec's translucent spirit began to split in the middle, inch by inch, as though someone was peeling off his skin alive with a knife.
His throat produced an inhuman hiss once again. It made the distant Klein's head feel dizzy and stinging, as though steel needles were stirring crazily in his brain.
In just a few seconds, Aztec's Spirit Body was completely split into two. Half of it transformed into a golden stream of light and shot into the bird-shaped accessory's eye, while the other half returned to his body and fused with his flesh and blood.
The two pale-white flames in Aztec's eyes were extinguished as the white feathers and pitch-black scales that grew on his body receded. The warped expression also eased, no longer looking as hideous.
His face turned slightly pale and translucent as his forehead twitched. Clearly, he was suffering from pain that stemmed from deep within his Spirit Body.
"Thank you for your help." He bowed at the beautiful hooded lady and turned around. With light footsteps, he walked up the stairs and came to Klein's side.
"You can open your eyes now," Aztec said with an exhausted smile.
Klein hurriedly opened his eyes and sized up Mr. Aztec. Only when he realized that he didn't show any signs of madness or losing control did he feel completely at ease. He curiously cast his gaze deep into the mausoleum.
Black fog emanated, concealing everything at the bottom.
"Who was that?" he couldn't help but ask.
Aztec smiled and reached out to grab his shoulder.
"Even if I tell you, you won't be able to hear it unless' He 'wants you to know."
As he spoke, Klein also subconsciously grabbed the shoulders of his two marionettes.
The colors around them thickened as they clearly overlapped one another. The two men and two marionettes quickly passed through the spirit world corresponding to the Berserk Sea and returned to the hotel room Klein stayed in in Kolain City.
The moment Aztec released his grip, he pinched his forehead and smiled warmly.
"I'll need to sleep for an unknown period of time to recover. If you have any questions, you can seek guidance from the spirit world's Seven Lights. You should have already grasped the corresponding ritual."
"Mr. Aztec, are you alright?" Klein asked in concern.
At the same time, he lampooned himself.
How can I be fine after losing half my soul forever?
Aztec smiled and said, "It's not a big problem.
I'll just maintain my previous state. I'll foresee my death and arrange everything, severing my connection with my original life. Then, I'll forget everything, revive, and wake up to search for the past.
"Compared to before, at least there's still you, a person who knows a lot about me. If I forget again, I should be able to recall a lot of things after seeing your letter."
He paused, nodded indiscernibly, and laughed in a low voice.
He chuckled softly and said, "Deep sleep isn't a bad thing. At least I can dream. In my dream, I've never left. I'm still basking in the Sun with her. I'm still guiding that stubborn child on how to use a broadsword. I'm still building a swing for that little fellow who likes to whine …"
Before he finished his sentence, Aztec threw out the copper whistle and smiled warmly.
"Remember to write.
"But I won't reply to you before I wake up."
Just as Klein reached out to catch the ancient and exquisite copper whistle, Aztec had already vanished from the room. It was unknown where he went.
After staring blankly for a while, Klein suddenly sighed softly.
…
To head elsewhere from Kolain City by land, one had to follow the spiraling path upwards, passing through many streets and arriving at the highest point of the city. Only then could one cross the mountain ridge and enter the plains.
At this moment, the Red Gloves team led by Sostel was standing on the square at the highest point, looking down at the abnormal Berserk Sea.
Daly Simone, who had been pressing her forehead the entire time, suddenly lowered her hand and said curiously, "Everything is normal again.
"Everything is back to normal. There are no more problems."
"Normal again?" Leonard asked in surprise.
From his point of view, it was very difficult for Daly to return to normal before the anomaly in the Berserk Sea ended.
"Perhaps it's intermittent?" Sostel hesitantly gave his guess.
Daly was just about to reply when everyone's spiritual perception was triggered. They looked towards the Berserk Sea again.
In the pure darkness, resplendent stars lit up one after another.
…
Baekeland, inside Saint Samuel Cathedral.
Archbishop Anthony Stevenson received an urgent telegram from the sea.
The telegram's content was rather simple, but it was sufficiently shocking:
"German Sparrow has reappeared. He boarded the Black Tulip with someone and turned Ludwell into a marionette. The person he follows is called Death Consul by Ludwell."
German Sparrow … Death Consul … Saint Anthony silently repeated these two names.
He slowly leaned back and closed his eyes. Once again, the information regarding Sealed Artifact 0-17 surfaced in his mind. It was complete information:
"Number: 17."
"Name: Angel of Concealment
"Danger level: 0. Extremely dangerous. Of the highest importance. Security clearance. Not to inquire, not to divulge, not to describe, not to pry."
"Security clearance: Pope, Team A researchers, and the archbishop in charge of the Baekeland diocese (Note: When the archbishop is transferred out of the Baekeland diocese, he needs to use Sealed Artifact 1-29 to erase the relevant memories)."
"Sealing method: Complete the seal through the combination of '1-29' and '1-80'."
"Description: This is not an item."
…
"Warning, 'He' cannot be used!"
"Appendix 1: This Sealed Artifact first appeared in the Pale Era of the Fourth Epoch. Exact year, missing. Exact date, missing. Exact location, missing.
"Appendix 2: According to the information, 'He' has been awakened five times."
"Appendix 3: There are limitations to not being used. It has been confirmed that 'He' can be used as a vessel for the Goddess's descent."
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