Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 156 Klein, you didn't want this either...

"Who gave you this?!"

Raft Pound's small body emanated a terrifying aura that sent chills down one's spine. Accompanied by an extreme, almost tangible, negative emotion, it gradually spread throughout the church, rapidly thickening and becoming misty. The cold, terrifying aura pressed down on one's head like a continuous mountain range.

When you meet his blood-red eyes, it feels as if you are surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

Klein clenched his teeth. The other person's cold and overwhelming negative emotions turned into thousands of needles, constantly eroding his mind like delirium and pollution, making his spirit like a lone boat on a turbulent sea, which could be capsized by the surging waves and sink to the bottom of the sea at any time.

At this moment, his thoughts were completely chaotic, and not a single normal thought came to mind.

But at this moment, Klein clearly realized that even though the evil spirit possessing Raft Pound had been dead for countless years, its essence was still that of a high-ranking mythical creature! Moreover, it was far beyond the reach of ordinary saints; it was at least an angel of Sequence 2 or higher!

He had only ever felt this kind of sensation when he was divining the eternal sun above the gray fog!

Now, without the protection of the gray fog, this feeling is even more acute. He should even be thankful that the other party has been dead for at least a thousand years, otherwise he would probably have already lost control due to the pollution! Because this is a rule he summarized long ago—never look directly at a god!

Fortunately, this pollution, stemming from the very nature of a high-ranking being, didn't last long. Within seconds, the negative atmosphere that had permeated the entire church vanished without a trace. Raft Pound remained standing opposite them, expressionless, his eyes bloodshot.

Klein finally caught his breath and subconsciously glanced at Miss Sharon beside him. Her face had always been pale, but now it was even paler than before, and her figure even seemed somewhat unreal; her condition was worse than his own.

Raft Pound said in a cold tone:

"Answer my question: where did you get that thing?"

Having finally caught his breath, Klein gasped for air, deliberately feigning difficulty breathing and not answering the other person's question immediately. His mind, still throbbing with pain, had no time to rest as he began frantically analyzing his current situation.

"The other party is essentially a high-ranking mythical creature, but it has been dead for many years and is also bound by a seal, so it cannot maintain its influence for a long time. At first, it probably wanted to have a good talk with us, or perhaps it wanted to lure us into helping it break the seal."

"But after seeing this string of crosses, he suddenly went mad and became extremely mentally unstable. Without a doubt, he and the original owner of these crosses were enemies..."

Klein quickly sorted through all the clues he had at hand, and before the evil spirit could grow impatient under its blood-red gaze, he took a deep breath and said:

"These are spoils I took from others."

As expected, Raft Pound pressed on with the following question:

"Who are they? Which faction do they belong to?"

Klein quickly replied, "Viscount Stefford is a member of the Loen royal family."

"The Royal Family of Ruen?"

Raft Pound sneered, "What shady plot is that paranoid madman plotting now?"

Although his tone remained chilling, the bloodshot in Raft Pound's eyes gradually faded. While his eyes were still bloodshot and looked incredibly terrifying, they were no longer as sinister as before, where even a simple glance carried a pollution that was unbearable for ordinary people.

"You bet right!"

Klein watched the evil spirit change and breathed a sigh of relief.

Paranoia, conspiracy… It seems this evil spirit was murdered by the “paranoiac” it spoke of in its previous life, and ultimately sealed away in this underground ruin for over a thousand years. As for the identity of that paranoiac, Klein also had a guess; it was very likely the organizer of the Twilight Hermit Society.

This aligned perfectly with the intelligence he possessed—the Twilight Hermits would secretly interfere with the course of history, shaping it to suit their needs in order to achieve their goals at a certain juncture. If the tides of history did not turn as they predicted, they would strive to reverse that trend.

The evil spirit before them was likely the one who, a thousand years ago, hindered the Twilight Hermits' desired era and was ultimately killed. This is similar to the assassination of Duke Negan, but this evil spirit's rank is significantly higher. Originally intending to use the power of this Radiant Cross to fight the evil spirit, they nearly ended up being killed by it instead…

Raftpound's emotions stabilized somewhat, and his previous madness subsided. Instead, he sighed and said:

"Don't be nervous. I am just an innocent victim of Aristatetudor's ambition, trapped in that underground ruin for nearly or more than two thousand years because of the constraints of my corpse. As you can see, the person who murdered me was that paranoid maniac, which is why I was so extreme just now."

"However, since you're not that paranoid person, there's room for us to cooperate."

"What do you want to do?" Klein asked directly.

"I hope you will help me get out of this predicament and let me become a free spirit. I swear, I will not harm innocent people."

Raft Pound looked at Sharon with bloodshot eyes:

"You must be a vengeful spirit from another path, and the next step is the crucial moment to become a demigod. I don't know if you have the recipe for the puppet potion, but I can help you obtain it, and even become part of your ritual. This is the reward I promise."

The evil spirit then looked at Klein:

"You also received a reward. It was an item that could be described as magical and precious, and its owner, drawn by some certain attraction, came to the underground palace and died beside the descendants of Tudor. This is what it looked like."

As he spoke, the evil spirit opened its palm, allowing the crimson moonlight to solidify into a picture.

Within the image, there is a normal-sized tarot card, but the image on it is completely different from the other types. Sitting in the chariot is not a king, but a male priest wearing a deep red robe.

The priest looked exactly like Roselle Gustav!

Klein's gaze shifted instantly, and he saw the starlight in the upper left corner condense into a line of text:

"Sequence 0: The Red Priestess"

The evil spirit stared at Klein, a somewhat terrifying smile on its face:

"Besides, if you let me go, I might even be able to help you cause some trouble for that paranoid guy! Believe me, we have a common interest in this!"

"After all, you wouldn't want to see His plan succeed, would you?"

Inside a brightly lit villa in the western district.

Emlyn White picked up the glass of crimson liquid and took a thirsty sip.

Just then, the host of the evening's banquet, Casimi Audra, walked over with a wine glass in hand, smiling as he asked:

"Did you enjoy the drinks tonight?"

"Of course, its owner is young enough and has good vitality." Emlyn straightened his back and struck a noble pose.

Judging from his appearance alone, Casimi Odra is a very classy middle-aged gentleman, but Emlyn knows that he is over two hundred years old and once witnessed the reign of Emperor Roselle in Intis. Later, because he had "lived" for too long, he was afraid that his neighbors would find something was wrong, so he moved to Loen.

Hearing Emlyn's praise, he smiled and said:

"Yes, its owner was a young woman who was stabbed by a thief and nearly lost her life. Fortunately, she met me, and this was the necessary price she had to pay for her recovery... By the way, my grandfather wants to see you."

"Your grandfather?" Emlyn was taken aback at first, then his eyes widened. "Lord Nibais?"

After descending the stairs to the underground area, Emlyn White passed through several secret doors and entered a spacious gray hall. In the center of the hall stood a heavy coffin, seemingly forged from black iron, adorned with numerous symbolic symbols and magical emblems.

After Kasimi Audra gave his report, a deep, aged voice slowly emanated from within the coffin:

"Emlyn White, do you know why I summoned you?"

"Lord Nibais, I believe you intend to help me remove the psychological suggestion," Emlyn replied without hesitation.

A brief silence fell over the underground hall. After several seconds, Nibais-Odra, lying in the coffin, chuckled:

"That is one of the purposes, but it is not through me that you are helped. I have just awakened from a long dream, because I received a revelation from the First One."

"The progenitor, He has risen again?" It wasn't Emlyn who exclaimed in surprise, but Cassim Odra.

Nibais ignored his grandson's questions and surprise, and said in a deep voice:

"Emlyn White, I have something to ask you now."

"Please speak," Emlyn said respectfully.

Nibais-Odra said in a serious tone:

"The end times are near, and only fire and the Fool can save the world! So, find an opportunity to pray to the Fool."

"Huh?" Emlyn wondered if he had misheard.

Inside the Hall family's luxurious villa in Queens.

Shortly after dinner, Audrey hurriedly led Yu Jin upstairs. The evening gown she had made for Yu Jin had already been delivered to the villa, and with the New Year's party approaching, Audrey needed to hurry up and "dress up" Yu Jin.

"Hmm, they both look pretty good. Which one do you prefer, Ember?"

Audrey sat on the cushioned chair, looking at Ember, who was wearing a brand new dress, and asked somewhat hesitantly.

The tailor designed three dresses for Ember, and Audrey thought they were all excellent. But since it was Ember who would be wearing them, she would definitely need to consult his opinion.

Yu Jin hesitated for two seconds, not stating directly that he felt there was no difference, but rather saying tactfully:

"Either is fine, I trust your judgment. The only problem is..."

Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, Audrey's lips curled up slightly with a hint of pride, but upon hearing the second part, a look of doubt appeared on her face.

Ember awkwardly tugged at his tie and said:

"You really can't pick this?"

"cannot!"

"All right."

Yu Jin shrugged and didn't persist.

"Really."

Seeing Yu Jin's awkwardness, Audrey sighed, "Haven't you ever attended a banquet before? Wearing a bow tie is basic etiquette!"

Ember asked, puzzled, "But didn't they not make any requests when I attended Viscount Slytherin's banquets before?"

"Slytherin?"

Audrey was stunned for a moment before finally realizing who Ember was referring to. She opened her mouth, somewhat helplessly, and said, "That's Viscount Grelint! Don't you even remember his name?"

"More or less." Yu Jin said casually, his tone unchanged. "As long as you know who it is."

"Grelint will cry."

Audrey grumbled, then added, "Besides, the events Greylint has hosted before were just salons, and not all attendees were nobles, so they weren't really formal banquets. In addition, Greylint is quite casual and doesn't really have formal dress requirements. Moreover, he wants you to help him collect potion recipes, so he's even less likely to criticize your attire for not being formal enough."

"This time, we're attending a New Year's Eve party, and almost everyone there is aristocratic! Our attire absolutely cannot be flawless; otherwise, why would we have specially commissioned these dresses?"

"Okay, you've convinced me."

Ember interrupted Audrey, saying seriously, "Then let's go with this outfit. But even if we can't take off the bow tie, we can at least tie it loosely, right?"

Audrey opened her mouth, but ultimately chose to give up, saying helplessly:

"Okay, but only a little bit more."

"Woof woof~"

Just then, the sound of a dog barking suddenly came from outside the door.

"It's Susie."

Audrey's expression shifted slightly. She had deliberately left Susie downstairs before going upstairs, and now that Susie had suddenly come up, perhaps she had something urgent to attend to.

Thinking of this, Audrey quickly walked to the door and gently opened it.

"Click!"

The golden retriever, Susie, stepped into the house, calmly squatted down, and let out a loud howl that reverberated through the surrounding air:

"Audrey, Alfred is back."

"When?"

Audrey looked somewhat surprised, but quickly realized something was amiss and frowned, saying, "You heard it from Dad and the others? Why didn't he just tell me?"

Isn't it a good thing that Alfred is back? Why can't we just tell her directly?

Susie explained:

"A week ago, Alfred sent a telegram saying he would return to Backlund in a few days, but there has been no reply since. Earl Hall initially thought Alfred was delayed by an urgent mission, but he checked the army's troop deployment orders during the day and confirmed that Alfred had returned to Backlund three days ago."

Audrey's pretty face changed slightly as she finally understood why Earl Hall hadn't told her directly—Alfred had clearly returned to Backlund, but he hadn't even sent a telegram, let alone come home to visit. It was hard not to suspect that something had happened to him!

Ember hesitated for two seconds, then asked:

"Has Earl Hall found out anything?"

"have."

Susie nodded and said seriously:

"The Earl of Hall requested the Prime Minister to conduct an investigation, but according to the intelligence the Prime Minister received, Alfred's transfer order was handled directly by the Royal Family, and even he did not have the authority to review the specific intelligence."

"Is it related to the royal family?"

Audrey pursed her lips, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

Perhaps because Ember was about to target the royal family, she was very sensitive to anything involving the royal family and had a very bad impression of it. She even subconsciously suspected that Ember's plan had gone wrong, but quickly dismissed the idea.

Because Ember had only told her about this plan, it was impossible for it to be leaked. Moreover, if it were leaked, they would be the ones in trouble, not just Alfred who was still serving in the Southern Continent.

Based on these speculations, it's easy to draw a conclusion—

"Is this related to the contents of the transfer order itself?"

Audrey immediately knew the answer, but this only made her more confused:

"What special mission does the royal family need Alfred to complete? But why him?"

Ember suddenly asked:

"Would you like me to help investigate?"

Audrey hesitated for a moment, then gently shook her head:

No, not for now.

She knew Ember well; if he were to intervene, things would definitely escalate, as Ember usually just flips the table. But things hadn't reached that point yet, and the royal family's purpose in seeking out Alfred might not be a bad thing.

"Wait two more days."

Audrey hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "If it's really not bad news, we should hear from you in the next couple of days."

"That's what Earl Hall thought too."

Susie wagged her tail and explained earnestly, "He said he has already investigated these matters, and the royal family will definitely know. They should send someone to contact him in the next couple of days."

Klein and Sharon quietly left Williams Street and wandered into another block in the silent darkness.

Once Klein boarded the rental carriage, Sharon appeared and sat opposite him.

She stared intently at Klein, her voice ethereal and dreamlike as she asked:

"Would you help it break the seal?"

"No," Klein answered without hesitation, then immediately countered, "What about you?"

Sharon shook her head, indicating that she wouldn't either.

Klein secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying:

"It has been dead for two thousand years and is now just a lingering evil spirit. Its fate is to dissipate or return to the spirit world. My idea is that once we have a higher sequence, we can join forces to eliminate it and give it true liberation."

Although the "Red Priest" card, the hidden history of the Fourth Age, and the various rewards promised by the evil spirit were all very tempting, Klein had no trust in it whatsoever! The evil spirit and the Twilight Hermits might indeed be enemies, after all, His death was inevitably related to this organization. And Klein and the Twilight Hermits were now subtly on opposite sides, seemingly sharing a common enemy and common interests.

But often, the enemy of my enemy is not my friend!

Klein had a premonition that if they really helped the evil spirit escape, He would attack them immediately!

Sharon hummed in response.

Klein thought for a moment and asked:

"Is Sequence 4, corresponding to the vengeful spirit, really a puppet?"

Sharon nodded.

"Do you have potion recipes or extraordinary materials?" Klein asked thoughtfully.

Sharon shook her head.

Klein tentatively asked:

"I have a friend who might be able to get his hands on the puppet's potion recipe."

"Moreover, he has high-sequence strength, so perhaps we can invite him to explore this underground ruin together next time."

Miss Sharon looked up at Klein, and after a long while, nodded slightly.