It was only when the two burning, dark red flames wobbled from the Forsaken Dogs and fell in front of Klein that he snapped out of it, feeling both confused and fortunate.
"Why would they willingly mutilate themselves to offer me a pair of eyes, with thick, sticky blood flowing around like paste...
"If this is a trap they set, I've already fallen for it. I even stood dumbfounded for several seconds. In a battle of a Faceless, that's a fatal error...
"However, no matter who it is, encountering something like this for the first time would inevitably lead to a similar reaction—the fearsome enemy you've been plotting against kneels and begs for mercy the moment it sees you, wagging its tail fawningly. It's like something out of a dream...
"This behavior is very similar to
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Klein glanced at the two Forsaken Dogs that were prostrating in the void, wagging their tails, and reached out his left hand to catch the two dark red flames and the large amount of viscous, deep red blood.
The moment he touched these items, Klein's ears suddenly echoed with familiar mutterings and roars, sometimes sharp, sometimes low, sometimes manic, sometimes seductive, sometimes crazy, sometimes ethereal.
Immediately after, a hazy, gray-white mist appeared before his eyes.
This mist spread around him, without end, and above it one could faintly see a majestic palace that seemed to be the dwelling of a deity.
This was a scene Klein was very familiar with, because every time he entered the mysterious space above the
At first, after taking four steps backward, he could hardly notice his surroundings, but as he became more accustomed and his Sequence increased, he could more easily seize the opportunity to make certain observations.
But at this moment, Klein had not recited the names of Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun or any other titles, nor had he taken four steps counterclockwise.
This made Klein extremely vigilant, and then he saw in the boundless Gray Fog, several figures appeared indistinctly, sometimes overlapping with the fog, sometimes separating from it. All of them were Forsaken Dogs with dark red flames burning in their eyes and their bodies covered in short black fur.
The two Forsaken Dogs that had each lost an eye earlier returned to the side of their companions and merged into the darker spots within the Gray Fog.
All the strange phenomena then disappeared. Floating deep in the Spirit World, Klein found that there were no longer any Forsaken Dogs around, only his two puppets and peculiar Spirit World creatures wandering in the distance.
...Klein lowered his head and looked at the "eyeballs" and blood in his hand, confirming through the sensation of their existence that what he had just experienced was not an illusion.
Forsaken Dogs are also known as Guardians of Sefirah Castle... They live in the historical crevices within the Spirit World... I just saw them active within the Gray Fog, merging with the darker patches... Combining what he had seen and heard, Klein gradually formed a bold judgment:
"Perhaps Sefirah Castle refers to that mysterious space above the Gray Fog, to that strange light door...
"And the Gray Fog is a symbolic object woven from all histories within the Spirit World, with crevices within it...
"Every time I enter the mysterious space through the Gray Fog, I leave certain traces there, making the Forsaken Dogs no longer unfamiliar with me, regarding me as the master of Sefirah Castle. So as soon as they see me, they immediately offer the items I need, wagging their tails and begging for favor?
"I planned for a day, inquired about the situation, invited helpers, only to find that I was scheming against my own guards?"
Thinking of this, Klein felt a sense of absurdity, like "The Fool" above the Gray Fog reaching out a dark hand, trying to "pluck some wool," only to end up plucking himself.
"Hoo... Sefirah Castle... Although this development makes me more fearful, at least I've started to understand a little about the master of the Gray Fog and that mysterious space. The unknown is what's truly terrifying..." After standing silently deep in the Spirit World for a few moments, Klein slowly exhaled and recalled his two puppets.
He planned to wait until his Faceless potion was completely digested before seeking knowledge about Sefirah Castle from the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes and other sources. By then, if any accident occurred, he could handle it through advancement.
…………
In East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Fors, with deep dark circles under her eyes, returned from outside and took today's newspaper and letters along the way.
"How did it go?" Xio, who had just come home for lunch, looked up and asked.
Fors covered her mouth with her hand, yawned, and said:
"Not bad. The editor I know was quite satisfied with the theme and writing style of my new book and decided to get it serialized as soon as possible.
"You don't know, the horror legends of
"...That's a good thing." Xio thought for a second and nodded seriously.
This meant that Fors, writing the same horror legends of Backlund Hospital, wouldn't attract too much attention, and her new pen name wouldn't face too much scrutiny.