593 Fooled
In response to Gandalf’s question, Bard recounted the past with a directness that left little room for ambiguity.
“I don’t know. He didn’t tell me. After the founding of the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, I began to notice the guy’s actions and demeanor mirroring the influence of the Celestial Worthy. Likewise, he saw the same in me, prompting a mutual inquiry. Eventually, we confirmed each other’s intentions, and assembled an April Fool’s team.”
Gandalf and Hela probed about the Celestial Worthy, but with no breakthroughs, Lumian, disguised as a Muggle, shifted his gaze to Bard and asked, “What was your crew’s aim in disrupting the sea prayer ritual?”
“To control the underwater spaceship. It’s our ticket to traversing the cosmos and holding our ground against Angels to some extent…” Bard revealed April Fool’s plan.
Lumian’s lips curved upward.
“Do you know what’s sealed in the depths of that spaceship?”
At this revelation, Franca suddenly grasped the core issue.
Spaceship?
The thing at the bottom of Port Santa is a spaceship?
Isn’t this too sci-fi and not mystical enough?
Does this world have everything?
To expedite the interrogation of Bard, a key member of April Fool’s, Lumian and Franca had entered the Nation of the Evernight without much communication.
“Spaceship…” Gandalf echoed the term, his tone brimming with unmistakable yearning.
Hela maintained a silence akin to the depths of night.
Bard responded to Lumian’s inquiry, “According to our interpretation of the language and the insights from the Celestial Worthy, that spacecraft functions as both a petri dish and an incubation chamber. It’s nurturing a high-level creature. Control the spaceship, and you control it. Without that control, the spacecraft alone won’t stand a chance against an Angel.”
The smile of “Aurore” became even more alluring.
“Ever wondered why the ancient Angel who sealed the spaceship didn’t take control of it? Why didn’t They command the high-level creature or destroy it outright?”
Bard fell silent momentarily before articulating, “It might take a considerable time for the high-level creature to mature. Taking control of the spaceship would halt everything. Patience is required until the recent few years—just before the creature is due—before it can be managed.”
Lumian’s smile beneath the hood grew brighter.
“If that’s the case, the ancient Angel who sealed the high-level creature will definitely reappear. Did you have the confidence to resist an Angel and win the spaceship? Or do you believe the Angel either didn’t try to decipher or couldn’t decipher the true meaning of those commands?”
“It’s been so many years—They might have already perished…” Bard paused.
In his dream, a creature on the altar, potentially the avatar of an ancient Angel, hinted that the Angel might still be observing Milo Village and those waters.
“Why didn’t we think to confirm it before embarking on the entire plan…” Bard voiced his doubts, his emotions showing no apparent shifts.
Lumian replied with a smile, “I can tell you that the spaceship isn’t sealed with a high-level creature. It’s an incomplete, nascent black hole. Once unsealed and piloted away, it will absorb the mystical body housing it, suck you guys in, and completely take shape, tearing apart and devouring the current world.
“Back then, the ancient Angels didn’t attempt to control it because it was dangerous, idiot!”
Bard was once again taken aback, as if he had never considered such a possibility.
After a moment, he hesitated and said, “We… might have… been fooled…”
Though Bard’s emotions remained unchanging, the blood-colored liquid that trickled from the simple bandage down the bridge of his nose painted a tragic and mournful picture.
Lumian burst into laughter, his back bending slightly.
“Do you only now realize that you’ve all been fooled by that Celestial Worthy? He provided revelations to mislead you. Through your deaths, He could open the seal and destroy this world to achieve His goals!
“Haha, April Fool’s, indeed an organization of fools!”
Bard fell into silence once more, then candidly expressed his thoughts.
“We’re fools, truly fools…”
Meanwhile, Gandalf and the others had varied reactions.
Dammit, a black hole? Destroy this world? Franca had thought the news of a spaceship was explosive enough, but she hadn’t expected something even more terrifying to follow.
And an entity creating a black hole?
Franca, lacking direct understanding of top-level powers, realized the magnitude of such a great existence.
Previously, she felt she had a sufficient understanding of the world. Now, she admitted frankly, I’m still a f*cking elementary school student!
Gandalf took a deep breath and said, “If I become a god, it would be so convenient for me to conduct research… Black holes…”
Hela retrieved a metal flask from her black widow clothes and took a sip, her thoughts inscrutable.
Lumian’s laughter echoed for a moment, providing a brief respite. However, underlying pain still gripped his heart, resonating in the shadows within. It couldn’t be eradicated or dismissed.
In the presence of the key members of April Fool’s, memories of his sister Aurore’s tragic fate couldn’t be ignored.
Bard stood there, a silent reminder of a fact deliberately overlooked.
Hence, Lumian couldn’t help but utter, “kill him and channel his spirit,” resorting to action in a half-truth manner.
Looking at Bard, Lumian inquired, “Do you know if Ultraman and Mad Lady have been to Cordu?”
“Yes,” replied Bard. “Part of our original plan was to find Nolfi’s child, the sea maid. She lived in Intis’s Riston Province. A stopover at Cordu was intended to confirm Muggle’s situation and the final outcome of the prank.”
At the mention of “prank,” a vein on Lumian’s forehead throbbed.
“How could you be so sure that Muggle was already dead?”
Hearing Lumian, disguised as a Muggle, pose this question, Gandalf let out another inaudible sigh. Franca sighed inwardly.
Bard shook his head.
“I’m unsure. Mad Lady and Ultraman went. They informed me the village was wiped out. No chance for anyone to make it out alive. They might have even employed divination, spirit channeling, and such to be sure.”
“Impossible for anyone to survive?” Lumian smiled. “Am I not human?”
Bard glanced at him and spoke his mind.
“You might not even pass as human anymore.”
That’s not wrong. I’m now a humanoid Sealed Artifact with self-awareness and fate… Lumian made a self-deprecating remark before adding, “The number of survivors is greater than you can imagine. A certain madame, her husband, butler, and maidservant had fled.”
Without giving Bard a chance to respond, Lumian inquired further,
“What was Loki trying to achieve with the Muggle incident?”
“I wasn’t deeply involved. Just tossed in a few ideas; not much in the loop,” Bard admitted honestly. “Ultraman might have a clue. He and Loki teamed up in other ventures.”
“In what ventures?” Lumian persisted.
Bard shook his head slowly.
“Not entirely sure about the specifics. It’s tied to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church.”
Connected to the Eternal Blazing Sun Church? Ultraman, a Sequence 5 Priest of Light on the Sun pathway… The humanoid Sealed Artifact lost by the church on the betrothal ship… Lumian’s instincts kicked in.
“Any key April Fool’s members that are not transmigrators?”
They had previously misconstrued April Fool’s as a gang of degenerated transmigrators. Yet, as an organization, it naturally expanded.
After all these years, April Fool’s likely harbored more key members!
Bard nodded.
“Yes.”
As expected… Lumian shot a glance at Franca, garbed in Assassin attire, seeking confirmation from Bard.
“One of them is a Purifier from the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, and he holds a decent status?”
“Yes,” Bard confirmed again. “Thanks to him, we got wind of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact we could utilize when we altered our plan. He even assisted in its escape from the seal.”
“And who might this person be?” Franca inquired, stepping in for the absent 007.
“It’s a one-way line to Loki,” Bard indicated, revealing his lack of knowledge about the member’s true identity.
Franca chuckled, saying, “If the Eternal Blazing Sun Church launches an inquiry, they might stumble upon some leads.”
Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts weren’t just lying around. They couldn’t be pilfered casually!
Lumian, noting Gandalf and Hela had no more queries, turned to Bard.
“What intel do you have on Loki’s ancient castle?”
“It goes by the name Dylan—a charming name,” Bard began. “Loki once told me it’s a concealed ancient castle. Impossible to discover or see under normal circumstances. In simpler terms, you can’t pinpoint its location through appearance or history.
“I’ve always envied Loki inheriting such a treasure after transmigration—an ancient castle. Later, he relied on the Celestial Worthy’s revelation and the corresponding boon to succeed. I once tried to swindle Castle Dylan for myself, but I failed.”
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