Having received no response to her prayer, Bernadette took the "Wish-Granting Lamp" and walked to the window of her captain's cabin, gazing out at the deep blue sea.
She wasn't impatient. She didn't try to use her "prophetic" abilities, patiently waiting for things to develop.
After a few minutes, a patch of grayish-white mist suddenly appeared before her eyes.
Immediately after, this mist took on a golden color, as if it had been smeared with a layer of viscous syrup.
Bernadette immediately looked down at the "Wish-Granting Lamp" in her hand, and saw that the wick in the lamp's mouth was burning on its own.
Above the
The figure's gaze pierced through the "praying spark of light", pierced through the grayish-white mist, and looked towards the "Whirlpool of
His voice immediately echoed inside the "Source Castle", majestic and grand: "Losing control?"
The "Lamp Genie's" tone carried obvious mockery, and it didn't care whether the crazy "Spirit Worms" could understand.
At this moment, above the already collapsed seat of "Mr. Fool", a strange door of light composed of countless light balls materialized.
It flickered in and out of existence, scattering brilliance, outlining a complex symbol in midair.
This symbol originally existed on the back of "Mr. Fool's" seat, composed of half an "Eye Without Pupils" and half a "Twisted Line".
As this symbol took shape, the strange light grew fainter and fainter, eventually completely merging into this space.
The next second, Klein's voice came from within the symbol representing "The Fool": "Lamp Genie, I want to make a deal with you."
The blurry, distorted pale-golden figure immediately laughed out loud: "Haha, I told you, you would agree eventually."
After laughing for a few seconds, the "Lamp Genie" calmed down and said: "I was just thinking, how could someone who became the new master of the 'Source Castle' lose control so easily?"
"This was my preparation for the worst-case scenario." The voice within the "Fool" symbol was in no hurry at all.
The "Lamp Genie" chuckled twice and said: "Aren't you afraid I'll hike up the price on the fly?"
Klein's voice replied unhurriedly: "For me, this is just one of many preparations, but for you, it might be the only opportunity in many years."
The "Lamp Genie's" pale-gold figure swayed as if blown by the wind, and his grand voice sounded again: "My conditions are the same as last time. As long as you can break the seal and let me out, I will take my part back to the starry sky, leave the rest to you, and grant you three wishes. Of course, from the looks of things, it seems you need me to pay in advance."
Klein's voice came through again from within the "Fool" symbol: "My promise is this: before the end of the current era's year 1368, I will send this 'Wish-Granting Lamp' to the starry sky. How you escape afterwards is your own business. My request is simpler, I only need two wishes. This is the deal I'm offering. Whether to agree or not is up to you."
The year 1368 was the year the "Original Barrier" would disappear, the "Apocalypse" universally acknowledged by this world's prophets.
The blurry, distorted pale-golden figure was silent for several seconds before speaking: "If the seal isn't lifted, the wishes I can fulfill are very limited. Once it surpasses a certain level, they will be fulfilled in a very twisted manner."
From within the "Fool" symbol forged of brilliance, Klein's voice transmitted calmly: "The two wishes I need, you can fulfill right now."
The "Lamp Genie" fell silent once again, not speaking for a long time.
…………
Deep within the primeval forest of Bayam.
Verdu, whose mind was burning from both internal and external reasons, did not waste time. Following the instructions of the "War God", he modified the altar, carving the correct symbols, magical runes, and strange patterns onto it.
He was originally a bit worried that the three demigod-level monsters would suddenly wake up, but by the time the ritual was ready, the sacrifices were still unconscious, unable to put up any resistance.
After placing the squirming mass of flesh, the deformed star-bird, and the white crow with dark circles under its eyes in their correct positions, Verdu looked at the single candle on the altar and raised his hand to light it.
Then, he stepped back a few paces and, with extreme solemnity, recited in the
Before his voice faded, three loud bangs came from the altar in succession.
The three demigod-level monsters corresponding to the "Faceless", "Secret Mage", and "Parasite" were as if grabbed by an invisible hand. They struggled only slightly before directly exploding, turning into balls of flesh flickering with different colored specks of light.
This flesh, as if possessing its own life force, gathered in midair under the guidance of an indescribable power, outlining one evil and filthy symbol after another.
Countless symbols combined together, slowly forming a door of still-writhing flesh, a door over five meters tall.
This door stood on the altar, its interior pitch black, leading to an unknown destination.
The flame of the candle representing "Mr. Door" soared up suddenly, illuminating the entire "Flesh Door" and lighting up that darkness.
Within the darkness, there were one after another light balls of faint starlight. Upon closer inspection, they all seemed to be strange insects with curled bodies.