Mystery: The Silver Key

Chapter 403 (Two-in-One)

Perhaps Palez Zoroaster could steal and return memories and thoughts without anyone noticing, thus achieving the effect of mind reading.

In this situation, letting Mr. "Moon" know too much information would be dangerous. He might then find his way to the top of the gray fog and find me, the "Fool."

Like Amun, He is an angel of the "thief" path.

This suggests that Palez Zoroaster likely shared Amon's desire for this space above the gray fog.

It is dangerous for Pales Zoroastrian, whose stance and attitude are unclear, to know that the "Fool" is behind the "Moon." No one can guarantee that He is really as friendly as Mobert said, after all, more than a thousand years have passed since Mobert's time.

Even if a Sequence 1 angel isn't as terrifying as Amon, he certainly won't be much weaker.

There's an even worse outcome... Palles Zoroaster, the parasite residing in Leonard's body, is actually Amon in disguise.

However, the probability is low; Arodes shouldn't be so easily deceived.

Furthermore, Leonard had been to the Sanctuary. If the one parasitizing him was Amon, the goddess wouldn't have been completely unresponsive, after all, the goddess is the "Hidden Mother."

Considering the first scenario, even if thousands of years have passed and Pales Zoroastrian is no longer the kind great-grandfather in Mobert's memory, he probably wouldn't easily attack "Mr. Moon," who has the Church of the Earth Mother and vampires behind him.

At most, it steals memories, a superficial form of parasitism, in order to obtain more information.

I can detect and remove the "parasites" on the gray fog.

The biggest challenge is gaining the other party's trust. Once something belongs to Mobert leaves the world of the book, it will quickly weather away and disappear, making it impossible to use as a token.

Using Mobert's unique memories won't work either; stealing memories is not difficult at all for Extraordinary individuals using the "Thief" pathway.

Shaking his head, he gathered his thoughts and looked back at "The Moon" Emlyn: "If he asks you about it, tell him that Mobert Zoroaster is trapped inside a book called 'The Travels of Grosser'."

"Trapped inside a book?" Emlyn asked, somewhat surprised. "Is that book, 'The Travels of Grosser,' some kind of terrifying sealed artifact?"

"The World" nodded: "That's one way to understand it."

"That book contains a complete world within it, and once you're inside, you can only leave when the story ends."

"The story of Grosser's Travels just ended last week. Now, more than a thousand years have passed since the first giant was trapped in the world of the book. Once they leave the world of the book, hundreds or thousands of years will pass in a second or two."

"This will cause them to die in the air, their bodies even weathering into dust in the air."

Just as Fors was about to exclaim that this was like a novel adventure novel, he subconsciously swallowed, sensing the horror behind the story.

A complete world within a book, that book called "The Travels of Grosser" is at least a Level 0 Sealed Artifact!

Does it belong to the "peeping to the secrets" pathway?

The "Hermit" Cattleya sensed the power and wonder of Grosser's Travels from the concise description of the "world," and was curious about which path the book belonged to.

"Justice" Audrey noticed the description "last week" in "The World's" words, and asked curiously, "Mr. 'The World,' did you go on an adventure in the world of the book last week?"

Klein, manipulating "The World," nodded slightly and replied, "Yes, and so are Mr. Destiny and Vice Admiral Edwina Edwards, among others."

That "waiting" refers to Danitz, who has a bounty of 5000 pounds...

Lost in thought, he glanced at Emlyn, the "Moon," who seemed lost in thought and wanted to shake him awake.

...Listen carefully, I'm telling you all this so that I can use your ears to convey the information to Palles Zoroaster, who is parasitic on Leonard.

Under the somber gaze of "the world," Emlyn finally snapped out of his daze and asked thoughtfully, "What does this have to do with that Leonard Mitchell guy?"

"Could his ancestors exist in that world within the book?"

The World sent me to ask Leonard Mitchell to accept the inheritance.

But if it's to receive the inheritance, why would "the world" make me wear the priest's robes of the "Mother Goddess" church for safety?

Could it be that this guy named Leonard Mitchell is someone who is hostile to noble vampires?

Unaware that "the Moon" had completely veered off course, Klein, manipulating "the World," replied, "This has nothing to do with Leonard Mitchell."

"You just need to ask him if he knows Mobert Zoroaster, and if he asks further, just tell him more."

"What if he doesn't ask?" Emlyn pressed.

After a moment of silence, "World" said, "Then let's leave directly. The commission is over."

"If you accept this task, what kind of reward would you like?"

Emlyn opened his mouth: "300, no, 500 pounds!"

"Yes." "World" nodded without the slightest hesitation.

He paused briefly, then added, "Before you go see Leonard Mitchell, remember to pray to Mr. 'Fool.'"

"After completing the commission, return to the Harvest Church and pray to Mother Earth, then find an opportunity to pray to Mr. Fool."

Huh? Emlyn blinked blankly.

He had just been amazed by the decisiveness of "the world" when he suddenly felt that his asking price of 500 pounds was too low.

How dangerous must this commission be for the "world" to both make me pray to Mr. Fool and then to the "Mother Goddess" after the commission is completed?

Wait, how does "the world" know I'm at the Harvest Church?

After a moment of stunned silence, he quickly realized that he had worn the priest's robes of the Church of the Earth Mother at the Tarot meeting, and there were no more Churches of the Earth Mother in Backlund.

No, I am a baron! Even if I were to pray, I should pray to the "moon," not Mother Earth.

After a pause, Emlyn, regaining his composure, coughed lightly and said, "I think 500 pounds..."

Cyril suddenly raised his hand, interrupting him: "I'll give you a few talismans. If you encounter danger, you can teleport away directly. If there's no danger, the talismans are yours."

"Okay!" Emlyn agreed immediately.

After becoming a baron, he gained enhancements in all aspects and was able to prepare extraordinary potions in advance. He was confident that even if he faced a demigod, he would not be killed instantly without even having the chance to use a "teleportation" spell.

As for those above demigod level, there are only three dukes in the entire vampire clan, so the possibility of encountering an angel on a casual commission is negligible.

After a moment of silence, today's tarot session moved into a free discussion.

Audrey glanced curiously at the bottom of the list, "The World," and at Cyril across from her. She was very curious about the world in "The Travels of Grossell," as well as the "Iceberg Admiral" mentioned by Mr. "The World."

However, instead of asking directly, she planned to share what she had seen and heard in the past week.

That was also a wonderful and exciting adventure.

After organizing her thoughts, she said in a light tone, "Everyone, I went back to that vast ocean of collective subconsciousness again and met that ancient dragon named Erihog..."

After briefly describing her journey into the ocean of the collective unconscious, she focused on the appearance of the ancient dragon Erihog and the conversation between Cyril and him.

Finally, she looked at Cyril and said in a very solemn tone, "Mr. Fate mentioned that He has another name, Angelweid!"

...Angelweid?!

Alger the Hanged Man, who learned about the myth of the Silver City from Derrick the Sun, Emlyn the Moon, who had some knowledge of ancient history, and Cattleya the Hermit, all frowned at the same time.

"Impossible!" Derrick exclaimed instinctively.

He glanced at "Justice" Audrey, then at Cyril, and said very seriously, "According to the records of Silver City, the Dragon King Angorweid has long since perished, and his authority has been taken back by the Lord."

Emlyn, the "Moon," glanced at the somewhat excited "Sun," pursed his lips, and seemed to look down on the other's performance.

After a half-second silence, he continued, "The same is true in the vampire records; 'Dragon King' Angorweid perished at the end of the Second Age."

The Hermit, Cattleya, nodded slightly: "The secret histories I've come across are also recorded in this way."

Feeling the gazes fixed on him, Cyril leaned back in his chair and calmly said, "Death is not the end."

"Even the Queen of Scourge, Goshinam, could leave behind the Book of Scourge as a contingency plan for resurrection; how much more so a former Old God?"

"The Sun," Derrick instinctively retorted, "But the Old Gods are all insane, chaotic, and irrational."

"The World" said in a hoarse voice, "This is just the description we see."

"Often, such accounts cannot be entirely trusted; at least for me and for fate," the giants and elves I encountered in *The Travels of Grosser* were not as mad and brutal as the legends portrayed.

"They are all normal beings with reason, wisdom, and emotions."

"And isn't there a vampire among us right now?"

"This..." Derrick opened his mouth, unsure how to answer.

Although he had never seen the giants and elves that Mr. World spoke of, he had seen and was familiar with Mr. Moon.

After the "Sun" fell silent, the "Hermit" Gadriya looked at Cyril and asked seriously, "Has the former 'Dragon King' Angorweid been resurrected within the ancient dragon Erihogg?"

Cyril nodded slightly, then shook his head: "Not quite accurate."

"It should be said that Angelweird's personality has awakened in Erihogg."

"He was an avatar created by Angorweid from the very beginning, just like Alshogaud, the Dragon Awakens, except that he had never awakened his true self before."

"It wasn't until he learned of the City of Miracles, Levihard, that he finally had the opportunity to awaken himself and return from the brink of death."

An apocalypse of "Dragon King" Angelweid...awakening his true self?

Cattleya lowered her head slightly, a series of thoughts flashing through her mind.

The ancient gods of the Second Age have resurrected! What impact will they have on the world? Will they ignite a war of the gods?

So, when "Fate" proposed exploring the ocean of the collective unconscious with "Justice" at last week's tarot meeting, was it actually to help Angelweid return?

But why this time? Why wait until "justice" discovers the ancient dragon Erihog in the ocean of the collective unconscious?

Before this, could he not find this Gu Long?

What is his true identity and purpose in helping an ancient god return?

Last week, the exchange between "Fate" and "Justice" took place in the presence of Mr. "Fool," who also mentioned that His name could be recited.

Does this mean that the return of the ancient god Angorweid was also partly due to the will of the "Fool"?

Perhaps it is Xiu's arrangement that "Justice" will venture into the ocean of the collective unconscious or encounter the ancient dragon Erihog.

As for "Fate," if his actions also represent the will of Mr. "Fool," then this matter could have been settled privately between him and "Justice," without having to wait for "Justice" to recount his adventure at the Tarot meeting before bringing it up.

This sounds more like a discussion or exploration, but who is discussing this with whom?

"Fate" and "Justice," or "Fate" and Mr. Fool?

The more she pondered, the more mysterious and difficult to understand "fate" became.

Amidst a surge of thoughts, a particularly audacious idea suddenly sprouted in her mind: "Fate" should not sit with them, but rather with Mr. "Fool".

Once the thought took root in my mind, I couldn't stop it.

Since "Dragon King" Angorweid has two incarnations, "Dragon Arnold" Alshogd and the ancient dragon Erihogg, then perhaps "The Fool" also has some incarnations, such as "Sea God"...

As for "Fate," he may not be an incarnation of Mr. Fool who stayed at the Tarot meeting for some purpose, but he is very likely an incarnation of other beings who cooperated with Mr. Fool.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at Sirion, then buried her head again.

In either case, the true identity of "Fate" is most likely Him, not him.

Beside her, "Magician" Fors frowned slightly, her expression sometimes thoughtful and sometimes troubled. She actually felt that the resurrection of an ancient god from the Second Age had little to do with her, but she was somewhat amazed that an ancient god could even transcend death.

But then she thought of the previous Backlund smog incident and the tens of thousands of innocent lives lost.

...If the returning ancient gods clash with the current seven gods, it would be an absolute catastrophe for this world.

As for the ancient gods and the true gods living in peace, she felt that was unlikely.

According to the "anchor" theory that Mr. "Fate" mentioned last time, gods need to develop believers as their anchors. The returning ancient gods certainly need to do the same, but believers don't just appear out of thin air.

To rapidly expand one's followers, one must plunder the followers of other gods, which will inevitably provoke a counterattack from the plundered gods, potentially leading to a divine war.

Thinking about it this way, she suddenly felt that her future was in grave danger.

Even the slightest aftershock of a battle between gods could probably kill me without me even realizing it, or cause me immense suffering.

Alger, the "Hanged Man," frowned, but quickly relaxed.

He glanced at "Destiny" Cyril, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.

He thought similarly to "The Hermit" and "The Magician," but not as deeply.

There may be great turmoil in the future, but that is also my opportunity.

Under normal circumstances, Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 would probably be my end point, but if a large-scale change or even a war occurs in the future, and I seize the opportunity, I can definitely become a demigod.

Unlike Fors the Magician and Alger the Hanged Man, who were filled with worry or anticipation for the future, Emlyn the Moon turned to excitement after a brief period of confusion and contemplation.

If the "Dragon King" Angorweid could return from death, then the progenitor must also be able to return from adversity.

At that time, our noble vampire race will surely regain its status in the Second Era!

Cyril turned his head slightly and glanced at Emlyn, the "Moon" who had suddenly become excited beside him, somewhat unable to understand his thinking.

His gaze then swept over the group of people, some worried and some deep in thought, and he said in a leisurely voice, "The ancient gods who have returned from the dead are only Sequence 2. The kind of future where ancient gods and true gods clash, as you imagine, is unlikely to happen."

As he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire palace hall paused for a moment.

Fors turned his head and looked at him with some surprise, as if to say: How did you know what I was thinking?

The Hermit, Gadriya, also glanced at the ancient god, but she was more curious as to why only Sequence 2 had returned.

Although Sequence 2 is also an angel, a truly important figure in the mystical world, they still seem far inferior to the divine beings.

She paused, then asked curiously, "Can't Angorweid, who returned from the ancient dragon Erihogg, regain his former power?"

Cyril replied calmly, "If that power doesn't have a new master, then yes."

Cattleya nodded thoughtfully and didn't ask any further questions.

The members of the Tarot Club were very curious about the topic of Angelweid's return from the dead, their minds wandering, but no one asked too many questions.

After a moment of silence, Klein manipulated the "world" to recount the adventure in the world depicted in the book "The Travels of Grosser": "The story in this book tells of a giant named Grosser who traveled to the Frost Kingdom to defeat the dragon King of the North, Julian."

"Grossell was also the first being trapped in the world of the book, thousands of years ago."

He was once the guardian of the decaying forest of the Giants' Court, where the parents of the Giant King Ormir are said to be buried, the source of all giants...

"7

"The World" recounts its memories as it unfolds, while Cyril occasionally adds to the narrative.

The world's hoarse voice, as if it were stuck in its throat, was not suitable for storytelling, but out of curiosity about the world in the book and the existence of giants, elves, ascetics of the Third Age, nobles of the Fourth Age, everyone listened very carefully.

Even Derrick, the "Sun," who was always preoccupied with the images of giants and elves in the description of the "world," remained focused.

He became visibly agitated, especially after hearing that the Tertiary ascetic Snowman believed in the Creator of all things, an all-knowing and all-powerful God.

After "The World" finished his narration, "Justice" Audrey asked impatiently, "Mr. World, Mr. Fate, did the world in 'The Travels of Grossell' originate from the hidden 'City of Miracles,' Levishire?"

"The World" shook its head slightly and looked at "Destiny" Cyril, who was leaning back.

Seeing this, Audrey also turned her gaze in that direction.

Cyril shook his head slightly: "No, the world in the book originated from Angelweid's fantasy."

"However, the fact that the world in the book could exist stably for thousands of years after Angelweid's fall may be due to Livich."

"As for the specific principles, I don't know. Perhaps Edwina will be able to figure it out in the future."

If Grosse's Travels had remained in her possession.

Audrey nodded thoughtfully, then asked curiously, "What kind of person is that 'Iceberg General'?"

Audrey's offbeat question made Cyril pause for a second before answering: "Well, she's more like a strict teacher than a pirate."

"She would give the crew a morning lesson every day and assign homework..."

"The crew of 'Iceberg Admiral' may not be the most skilled of all the pirate admirals, but they are definitely the most knowledgeable."

"Even a boatswain was fluent in several languages, including Old Fussak, Elvish, and Dragonish."

"I see..." Audrey sighed, this was completely different from the pirate general she had imagined based on Mr. Hanged Man's account.

He even gives lectures to his crew every day. No, I should say that the crew under "Iceberg Admiral" actually attends classes every day. Is this really something pirates would do?

It's also possible that Ms. Edwina subdued them with force, but such coercion cannot last. So, is it her personal charisma?

"The Hermit," Cattleya, suddenly spoke up: "This is typical of the members of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom."

"They are passionate about learning and spreading knowledge, and cannot accept the existence of illiterate people who don't even know a single word or idiots who can't do the most basic arithmetic around them."

As fellow pirate generals, she knew something about "Vice Admiral Iceberg" and her fleet. They had exchanged a brief conversation at a pirate gathering before; he was a very learned scholar.

Unlike her interest in studying occult knowledge, the "Iceberg General" maintained the same enthusiasm for all knowledge.

Audrey was somewhat surprised by the "Hermit's" answer... "Iceberg Admiral" is a member of the Church of the "God of Knowledge and Wisdom"? Then why did she become a pirate?

Is it a love of adventure and treasure hunting? Or is it to ensure that the Church of the "God of Knowledge and Wisdom" can keep abreast of information at sea?

Well, or perhaps both are possible.

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