If I keep accumulating it bit by bit, it won't be long before I can respond to Moon City's prayers and cure their deformity, thus creating quite a miracle… In addition, I've also concluded the acting principles of a Miracle Invoker. It's only a matter of time before I digest it if I follow them. I might even finish within the year… Klein retracted his gaze from outside the window, raised his left arm, and controlled the monster puppet on his hand to entertain a child across him.
This made him look more like a wandering magician.
If he was willing, he could even use Life's Cane or the "Grafting" ability to imbue this sock puppet with living characteristics.
While entertaining the child, Klein's thoughts scattered as he considered where the marionette city needed to be "built" for the advancement ritual.
A marionette city needs sufficient interaction to develop a corresponding region in the spirit world. This means that it isn't enough to leave it in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Ignoring the fact that it's sealed there, there's no way of directly connecting it to the spirit world. All I can do is rely on the little specialness it has. Even if there's no problem with it, it's difficult to create any interactivity with a place that lacks intelligent life…
If it's placed in the Northern and Southern Continent or the sea colonies, I have to be careful. Before the ritual is about to succeed, I definitely can't expose the fact that it's a marionette city. Otherwise, it will be affected, damaged, or even attacked by Zaratul, Amon, and my other enemies…
Yes, I have to give a sufficiently good reason for a marionette city to appear. Then, there won't be any abnormalities with the interaction between the traveling merchants and the surrounding humans. I have to make every marionette a living person. They have their past, present, and future. They follow their own trajectories of fate…
This means that a marionette city is extremely complicated. I need to split out many Worms of Spirit to deal with it. This also has the risk of losing control by doing so…
If they are husband and wife, they should act like husband and wife. When faced with something they are fond of, they should show joy. Perverts should be hated… This way, foreigners might hear embarrassing sounds while staying in the marionette city…
I'm still just an innocent child…
This is a large-scale reality show, or rather, a high-end version of "playing house." It has to be able to deceive the audience…
As Klein lampooned inwardly, he silently counted if he had enough marionettes.
Previously, he had gone to the Forsaken Land of the Gods several times and converted a large number of them. There were all kinds of monsters that might not have Beyonder characteristics. He also consciously controlled batches of rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and flies, hoping to make a more uncommon side of the city real enough.
I'm barely able to support a small city, so just a few more visits to the Forsaken Land of the Gods would do… Just as this thought flashed through Klein's mind, a scene suddenly appeared in front of him.
At the top of the Giant King's Court which was bathed in the light of dusk, the open door slowly and heavily closed.
This was like a pair of invisible hands closing the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
This… Klein's eyes darkened as he vaguely guessed that this scene meant that the True Creator was about to seal off the Forsaken Land of the Gods again.
This was the prophetic power that came from his angel-level spiritual intuition and premonition for danger.
It was about to happen a few minutes or a few seconds later.
Did the True Creator capture Amon? Or has "He" already given up? "He" once again sealed off the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Does "He" not want others to enter again? Isn't this too petty? Klein mumbled inwardly, feeling a little disappointed.
Of course, he barely had enough marionettes. Even if he lacked them, he could make up for it at sea.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough.
Audrey had just changed her clothes and sent away her maidservants. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Susie walk in.
"What's the matter? You should be out on your stroll at this time?" As an experienced Spectator, Audrey immediately sensed that something was amiss.
During this period of time, she had been busy making use of the influence she had in a few foundations to help the workers, farmers, and injured veterans with their hardships. She had allowed them to wait for a new job opportunity or for their plantation's production in a new season. She had a lot less interaction with Susie than usual.
At the same time, Audrey was secretly guiding the workers of lower socioeconomic status from the various unions in Backlund to gather their strength together.
Her previous experiences made her understand that counting on the kindness of the upper class wasn't reliable or long-lasting. A single person appeared puny and powerless in the face of the government, nobles, and powerful merchants. Only by summoning the combined strength of a large number of civilians could a balance be formed.
The Loen Kingdom had unions in different industries a long time ago, but the upper echelons of these associations were easily bribed. Instead, they became effective weapons against ordinary workers.
Susie glanced at Audrey with a rather normal expression, but her mouth seemed to be out of control. It vibrated the air and let out a deep male voice.
"Miss Audrey, I'm the president of the Psychology Alchemists, Eric Drake. I wish to meet you and discuss with you about becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists. I'm at the nearby park."
Having said that, Susie heaved a long sigh of relief and regained her original voice.
"Audrey, there's a strange guy looking for you. I… I can't remember what he looks like. H-he directly placed the words he wanted to say into my mind island!"
Audrey's pupils dilated slightly before immediately returning to normal. She calmly nodded and said, "Where is he at the park?"
As she spoke, Audrey secretly conjured a Virtual Persona and entered Susie's mind island through the sea of collective subconscious. She checked if it was still distorted by some external consciousness or knowledge.
"I don't remember… I was having my stroll," Susie said as she recalled.
Then, she wagged her tail slightly and said, "I don't think you should go. It's dangerous."
After confirming that Susie didn't have any latent problems with her Virtual Persona, Audrey exhaled and said, "It will be even more suspicious if I don't go. That way, danger will be unavoidable. It might even affect the rest of the people in the house."
Besides, this is also an opportunity. Just as Mr. Hanged Man said, since the end of the world is coming, all the hard work and attempts that will not bring disaster are meaningful… Audrey added inwardly before saying, "I will protect myself.
"Susie, did anything happen to you just now?"
Susie barked and said, "No.
"Audrey, are you really going?"
"Yes." Audrey gave a clear answer.
"Then can you bring me along? Just like before, I'm just a dog in their eyes," Susie mustered up her courage and said.
"No, there's no need. I'll be back very soon. Believe me, I'll be blessed by a deity," Audrey replied with a faint smile.
After comforting Susie, she used her Psychological Invisibility and left the luxurious villa like she usually did.
When she was far away, in a corner on the first floor, a servant who was cleaning suddenly bowed his head and softly said words that he had never learned before:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"
…
In the ancient palace above the fog.
The figure sitting in The Fool's seat naturally looked at the newly formed prayer light and realized that the believer was extremely unfamiliar.
It's identical to Miss Justice's home environment… I can suspect that it's a result of guidance created by a Virtual Persona's invasion of the mind island… Miss Justice used this method to avoid any surveillance and pray for blessings… The figure quickly came to a conclusion and transferred the corresponding situation to his true body.
A few seconds later, Klein entered Sefirah Castle and allowed the Worms of Spirit to burrow into his body.
Miss Justice is becoming more and more like a High-Sequence Spectator… Klein praised inwardly as he cast his gaze at the crimson star representing Justice.
…
In the park with a lake.
As soon as Audrey entered, she saw a large carriage drive over. The carriage driver was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing an old hat and a dark-colored jacket.
However, in Audrey's eyes, this carriage driver didn't exist because he didn't have a corresponding island of consciousness or mind.
In other words, the carriage driver was just an illusion, a fake, and the controller of the carriage was the horse itself.
A few seconds later, the large carriage stopped in front of Audrey. The door creaked open.
"Please come in." A deep male voice came from inside.
Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt slightly and boarded the carriage. She saw a man sitting on a black wheelchair.
His pale yellow eyebrows were long and his hair was neatly combed back. There were some wrinkles on his forehead, and his face was abnormally pale.
"Mr. Derlau? Aren't you already dead?" Audrey recognized the man in front of her and expressed her surprise perfectly.
"To a Spectator, death only represents the end of one's identity. In other theatrical plays, I'm still alive," the elderly gentleman who was sitting in a black wheelchair replied with a smile. "Apart from the former royal family's medical consultant, the former chancellor of Backlund Medical School, I'm also King of the Black Throne Barros Hopkins at sea. I'm the famous hermit, Eric Drake, etc.
"Then how should I address you?" Audrey asked politely as she watched the door close automatically from the corner of her eye.
The old gentleman stroked the wheels on both sides of his wheelchair and said, "You can call me Mr. President, or you can continue calling me Mr. Derlau."
He then pointed to the seat on the left side of the carriage.
"Have a seat. Let's head somewhere first before discussing you becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists."
Audrey nodded slightly and calmly sat down.
Without hiding anything, she cast her gaze out of the window and was surprised to find that in the blink of an eye, the park had turned into an unfamiliar city, one that was shrouded in darkness.
The city was filled with extremely mysterious and beautiful buildings that gave off a dark feeling. There were gentlemen wearing top hats and trench coats, as well as women in complicated and dark dresses.
As Audrey swept her gaze, she saw a gentleman with short black hair beside a carriage, revealing sharp canine fangs in his mouth.
This was a werewolf.