For an instant, Klein imagined that Tracy would directly attack him, as her face was already flushing red with anger. Her blue eyes had turned dark like the surface of a sea before an impending storm.
But eventually, Tracy didn’t act rashly. She looked towards Katarina Pellè and awaited the decision of the Demoness of Unaging.
She knew very well that, although Sequence 5 and Sequence 4 were just separated by one level, there was a qualitative difference between them. There was no way to bridge the gap with one’s battle skills or execution. One was a normal human with special powers, while the other was already a demigod, a legendary creature possessing godhood.
Furthermore, the two present were clearly not Sequence 4. Placed before them, Tracy felt like she was a Low-Sequence Beyonder.
Katarina Pellè didn’t seem furious. She looked at Klein, who wore the face of Qilangos, and chuckled as her eyes moved across him.
“What an interesting lad. If not for Mr. Death Consul being here, I might’ve not revealed the upheavals within my heart and have an unexpected encounter with you which would lead into having a pure and romantic story with you.”
Seeing no response from Azik Eggers, Katarina retracted her gaze and said to Tracy with her melodious voice, “Embrace the afflicted pain; this might be something beneficial for you.”
She then looked towards Azik.
“I remember that batch of documents. It records the various attempts used by the Balam royalty to revive Death, but unfortunately, they seemed to fail miserably. Towards the end, they seemed to consider creating an artificial Death.
“Are you still interested?”
Azik pondered for two seconds before asking, “What price do I need to pay?”
Katarina smiled youthfully.
“No, there’s no need.
“I thought it over. Helping you regain your memories and find your past in order to become the Death Consul from before should be a rather interesting matter. This can bring more changes and fun to this world.”
Azik nodded and extended his right hand. A piece of paper and a fountain pen in the room automatically flew over as though invisible spirits were at his service.
After scribbling, he threw the paper over.
“You can summon my messenger.”
Katarina caught the piece of paper and scanned it before pursing her lips into a smile.
“I thought you would’ve directly told me where in the Underworld.”
She looked up as her blue eyes effused an indescribable warmth as she smiled faintly.
“I still remember how Mr. Death Consul from before was such a powerful but cold man. He left a deep impression on me.
“I’m also curious as to why you would become so soft.”
Azik held his fist to his mouth and shook his head with a bitter smile.
“I’m immortal, but that doesn’t mean I don’t age. Once a person ages, they will often become placid.”
“No.” Katarina’s eyes flickered deep down as she said without concealing anything, “I look forward to the day you recover all your memories. I wish to see how you would evaluate the present you.”
Upon saying that, she curled her lips slightly and winked at Klein.
“Perhaps we will release an existence more evil than a devil.”
Azik fell silent for a few seconds as he grabbed Klein’s shoulder and pulled him into the spirit world and traversed it. Instantly, there was only Demoness of Unaging Katarina Pellè and Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy left in the Black Death’s captain’s cabin.
The latter looked at the spot where the two had disappeared, and after taking a while to calm herself, she clenched her teeth and said, “I’ll never forget this matter!”
Katarina resumed her pure demeanor and smiled faintly.
“Feel the afflicted pain. The more pain you feel, the more you will realize how weak you are. When the pain reaches a threshold, the desire to change yourself will reach a certain intensity, allowing you to withstand the potion and obtain godhood during the ritual to become a demigod…”
When Tracy heard this, she suddenly thought of something. Her expression froze as she blurted out, “Helene was able to escape the Black Death because of…”
Katarina smiled mildly.
“You are my youngest child, but you are the one who’s most promising at becoming a demigod. As a mother, I will naturally want to help you.”
Tracy’s facial muscles twitched as she said with a warped expression, “That’s right. I have a mother like you, and a mom…
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth in the beginning. You clearly knew the mid- and low-Sequences of several other pathways!”
Katarina turned her body as her white gown fluttered. She said ethereally, “We all need to approach the Primordial.
“We are all ‘Her’ children.”
As she spoke, surging but silent black flames soared over the huge sailboat which was dozens of meters long. The flames covered every corner as they burned silently without injuring any of the pirates on the Black Death, as though they were clearing up any accumulated dust.
…
The stacked colors quickly receded, and the indescribable transparent figure went far into the distance. Klein’s spirituality suddenly stirred as he felt that the items he had left on the Black Death had all vanished.
He found themselves in a mountain valley with a river flowing. There were fertile fields with a manor and town that was built in a Loenese style.
Klein looked around him and discovered that he was standing in a dark cemetery that had long been abandoned.
“Mr. Azik…” he shouted in puzzlement.
Azik walked to a grave with a broken tombstone that was covered in weeds. He said solemnly, “After meeting Katarina Pellè, I recalled some matters again.
“I once told you that in a particular dream, in one of my lives, I had a daughter. She had soft black hair and enjoyed sitting in a swing I made myself while requesting sweets from me.
“When traversing the spirit world, I suddenly sensed the call of my bloodline.”
Klein was infected with his emotions as he asked solemnly, “Is this her…”
Azik nodded and crouched down. He touched the halved tombstone as his bronze face wore a gentle, sorrowful, and confused look.
“This is her grave.
“If I recall correctly, she’s been dead for 926 years…”
If it wasn’t for the Churches compelling people to be buried in cemeteries and providing a certain degree of surveillance, it would’ve been hard to find this grave and tombstone, since there hadn’t been any all-out wars since the Fifth Epoch.
A human’s life was on the order of decades, but this was 926 years.
After a long moment of silence in the cemetery, Azik got up again and grabbed Klein’s shoulder.
“I’ll send you back first.”
After a few minutes of traversing the spirit world, Klein saw the white bedsheets and yellowish-brown floorboards.
Azik pressed down on his hat and said in a deep voice, “I’ll continue my journey while you continue on your adventures.”
Klein nodded. Just as he was about to say something, he saw Mr. Azik curl his lips and smile.
“Were you afraid that I would become an evil person like a Demoness after fully recovering my memories?”
Before Klein could reply, Azik sighed.
“I’m also very worried.
“But, I have a greater desire for discovering myself.”
After saying that, the surrounding aqueous void around him rippled as he vanished from the room.
For a long period of time, Klein stood in his spot, silent.
Retracting his thoughts, Klein sat down and habitually reflected over his operation.
After reflecting on the matter, Klein prepared to sleep. He planned on taking down the radio transceiver from above the gray fog once it was daybreak, so as to establish communications with the magic mirror, Arrodes.
Of course, he had to first divine the level of danger above the gray fog.
