483 Hidden History
Dressed in a white shirt with a knot and a beige dress, Magician fixed her gaze upon the menacing hurricane that bridged the gap between sky and earth. Her eyes glittered, as if concealing the vast cosmos.
“Vermonda Sauron is indeed a Sequence 1 Conqueror. It’s no wonder He could influence generations of the Sauron family after losing control and going underground. It’s no wonder the Sauron family, once a royal lineage, swiftly declined,” Magician mused, sighing.
Justice, inquisitive, asked, “I wonder how the former leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, and Emperor Roselle played a role in Vermonda Sauron losing control and entering the Fourth Epoch Trier. The Sauron branch, wielding Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, obstinately believes that they harmed Vermonda, causing the Conqueror to lose control. The former even left a prophecy to mislead generations of Sauron family members.”
Magician chuckled and replied, “Based on the information Lumian gathered and my research into the seal, the issue deep within Red Swan Castle’s underground maze doesn’t seem like something Zaratul or Emperor Roselle could create. Only a Weather Warlock and a Conqueror can resonate abnormally with Fourth Epoch Trier day after day, creating dangerous changes in corresponding places. Zaratul and Emperor Roselle likely exploited the problems that Red Swan Castle and Vermonda Sauron already had.”
While she spoke, the Tarot Club’s Major Arcana card holder shifted her gaze away from the hurricane sweeping through the world and focused on Fourth Epoch Trier, veiled in a thin gray fog.
The starlight in her eyes remained, as if she sought something to pinpoint her next target. She didn’t abruptly halt and engage in conversation at a crucial moment.
Justice nodded in agreement and remarked, “If it were me, I wouldn’t venture further into Trier after becoming an Angel to minimize the abnormal influence the underground might have on me. Vermonda Sauron disregarded hidden dangers and stayed in Red Swan Castle for an extended period. He must have had a strong desire for something in Fourth Epoch Trier.”
“Didn’t the Sauron family construct the White Maple Palace outside Trier? Previously, Vermonda’s royal family resided there and rarely returned to Trier.” Magician brought up the fact that the Sauron family was aware of the issue before adding, “Zaratul likely played a significant role in Vermonda Sauron’s situation. As you know, He is an Archangel of the Seer pathway. Without His ‘assistance,’ it wouldn’t have been easy for Vermonda Sauron—even as a Conqueror—to create a leak in the seal. He entered Fourth Epoch Trier after losing control. Back then, the seal’s effects weren’t as potent as they were a few years ago. There was no need for modifications.”
Justice pondered for a moment and said, “What I’m more curious about is who designed the Hostel ritual. Their use of mysticism similarities and loopholes resembles that of high-level Seer, Apprentice, or Marauder Beyonders. Or perhaps they have had long interactions with these high-level Beyonders and were adept at learning.”
“Perhaps the corresponding pathway of the Deceased excels in this as well. Perhaps it’s secretly influenced by that Celestial Worthy, or perhaps that entity wants to use the temporary opening of the seal to do something. As you know, the Iron and Blood Cross Order used to believe in Him. It’s too easy for Him to mislead us,” Magician mused, uncertain of the right answer.
Starlight flickered in her eyes; she found it challenging to observe and determine the situation in the thin gray fog.
As Magician scrutinized Fourth Epoch Trier, she informed Justice, “The level of the catacombs’ seal corresponds to this location.
“At its heart lies the Samaritan Women’s Spring, where Blood Emperor Alista Tudor met His end. The razed imperial palace and its surroundings harbor diverse dangers. The lingering divine power is unimpressive and consumable. Sigh, every time I bring up something of this sort, it feels like I should adopt a more vulgar vocabulary. Only then can I truly capture my sentiments about the Blood Emperor’s lunacy.
“Hence, you won’t unearth anything significant from here. Only upon approaching will you discern that Mr. Fool’s gray fog has grown denser, thicker, and more palpable.
“The catacombs’ fourth and third levels correspond to Fourth Epoch Trier, excluding that specific area. Corruption and divine power still linger abundantly. Navigating certain areas demands adherence to specific rules; otherwise, even Angels may meet Their demise.
“The two levels above the catacombs correlate with the wilderness beyond the gray fog. Humans can traverse them to a certain extent, but with Vermonda Sauron lingering, the danger rivals that of the Fourth Epoch Trier…”
Just as Magician concluded her words, a frenzied and terrifying roar echoed from the area where the weather had dramatically shifted.
The formless flames that illuminated the surroundings and shrouded the entire “sky” seemed to be influenced, coalescing into a massive vortex.
Within the vortex, shapeless and translucent flames descended from above, striking the wilderness like a colossal sword that pierced through heaven and earth.
Amidst this chaos, the ground quaked even more violently. Fiery crevices extended further towards Fourth Epoch Trier, concealed within the gray fog.
Magician remained unperturbed as she observed the splendid yet dilapidated city for a while.
Then, she said to Justice, “Let’s enter.”
Justice tersely acknowledged, offering no objections.
Both of them tacitly avoided mentioning Vermonda Sauron, an Archangel who had lost control—a Conqueror. They had no intention of joining the battle or seizing the Beyonder characteristic.
For them, the Tarot Club’s primary goal in this matter was to prevent the evil gods’ bestowed from approaching the innermost seal, ensuring they couldn’t leak the danger within which would affect Trier aboveground and the entire world.
Furthermore, they sought the lost Minor Arcana card holders to guide them out.
As for the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic, symbolizing an Archangel and Sequence 1, as long as it didn’t fall into the hands of heretics, obtaining it wasn’t a particularly grave issue for anyone. Magician didn’t mind observing and, if the opportunity arose, pilfering the gains. However, she wasn’t a high-level Beyonder of the Marauder pathway capable of dividing herself and participating in every battlefield.
Despite achieving a similar effect by moving back and forth, she had to respect Mr. Fool’s gray fog and the core seal of Fourth Epoch Trier. Corresponding restrictions were undoubtedly in place.
Starlight blossomed, and Magician and Justice vanished. The thin gray fog enshrouding Fourth Epoch Trier undulated.
…
As soon as Gardner Martin’s head—nestled over Olson’s headless corpse—finished speaking, a multitude of blazing white fireballs materialized around him, hurtling towards Gardner Martin, who had suffered a chest wound.
In the midst of the rumbling explosion, Gardner Martin’s figure in the silver armor suddenly vanished.
After the shockwave subsided, he reappeared in a corner of the ruins.
Then, he witnessed the other “him” merge with the blazing white flaming spear, which burrowed into the thin gray fog and disappeared into the randomly scattered buildings of Fourth Epoch Trier.
Gardner Martin’s pupils constricted, and he was about to give chase when a violent and furious roar echoed from afar.
His entire body froze. Blood vessels beneath the visor on his face appeared, dark red as if flowing with flames.
Instinctively, Gardner Martin turned and prepared to sprint towards the distant apocalypse-like hurricane.
The space between his eyebrows twitched, and a faint red dot appeared.
Gardner Martin finally regained control of himself. He took a deep breath and returned to normal.
He gazed in the direction the other “him” had fled and muttered in a self-deprecating tone, “Were those harsh words and all-out attacks meant to make it easier for him to escape? As expected of me. Do you realize that failing to assassinate me means staying here means I’ll inevitably kill you?”
As Gardner Martin muttered to himself, he produced a canister made of dark glass, its liquid a green hue reminiscent of grass.
He unscrewed the cap and downed half the canister. The wound on his chest began to heal at a visible rate.
It was a healing agent concocted by a Madame of the Nightstalkers, obtained by Gardner Martin through Philip.
Philip, who had united numerous evil god cults, had no shortage of similar items, but under the Hurricane of Light, the fragile canisters shattered.
After stowing away the remaining half canister of the agent, Gardner Martin, clad in silver-white full-body armor, ventured into the thin gray fog and Fourth Epoch Trier.
…
In the cover of a narrow street, behind a collapsed building, Franca hissed in agreement with Lumian’s conjecture.
“That’s right. This is a true relic from a divine war, and it’s even more dangerous. It’s entirely possible that the entire city is riddled with ailments.”
She suspected that the closer she got to the place where Blood Emperor Alista Tudor had met his end, the more peculiar and horrifying the ailments became. Some seemed to have sprouted from the decaying corpses of deities. Ignoring Low-Sequence Beyonders whose bodies didn’t fundamentally differ from ordinary humans, even Saints and Angels would likely succumb to the “disease” and perish.
Franca paused for a moment before suggesting to Jenna, “Why don’t you give the black figurine to Anthony for safekeeping? It might be dangerous for you to hold it, and he can use that item to create his own Mirror Substitution, effectively increasing his chances of survival.”
Franca couldn’t shake the feeling that it wasn’t a wise decision for a female Demoness like Jenna to possess a Primordial Demoness figurine, whether it was the genuine article or the mirrored version.
Without waiting for Jenna’s response, Lumian spoke in a deep voice, “It’s better if Jenna holds it. She has the lucky gold coin.”
“That’s true…” Just as Franca finished speaking, she suddenly heard a chime not far away.
It resembled the bell of a bicycle, yet it was clearer and rang out for a longer duration.
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