The dream Klein constructed was based on 160 Böklund Street. He fabricated quite a few beauties and placed them around Dwayne Dantès, perfectly shaping the image of a wealthy man who was knowledgeable and experienced, but had to endure in reality for the sake of his reputation, only indulging himself a little in his dreams.
Sitting on the sofa and accepting a glass of red wine from a young lady, Klein didn't even have time to taste it before he discovered that the surroundings had suddenly changed. The bright, elegantly decorated villa full of beauties had transformed into a dark, damp, and filthy sewer.
Immediately after, he saw five familiar sticks of dynamite in his hand.
Weren't these the ones I planted before? Klein was first stunned, then pretended to be startled. He threw the dynamite away in a fluster and warily looked around.
Seeing nothing else unusual, he stepped back step by step, groping for a vertical metal ladder. He decisively and swiftly climbed up, moved the manhole cover, and left the sewer.
As soon as he returned to Böklund Street, the entire dream shattered, waking him up.
Klein opened his eyes. In the nearly lightless room, he looked at the ceiling decorated with gold and reflected on what had just happened.
"Was this the work of that demigod from the Marauder pathway?
"He escaped the pursuit of the Nighthawks and is still hiding nearby. Afraid of the reappearance of the 'Black Emperor' who exposed his trail, he is guiding dreams one by one, looking for a target?
"Very likely! If I hadn't been able to stay awake and rational in a dream someone invaded, my subconscious would have driven me to repeat the process of planting explosives and triggering the alarm. After all, it was something I had done and remembered vividly…
"Good thing I summed up the rule: 'A Puppet Master should try to stay in the shadows.' Whether it was exploring the sewers or meeting Triss, I relied on my puppet. Even when the distance was too short and I had to go in person, I did so in spirit form, channeling through the
Thinking back on this, Klein felt a wave of relief. Initially, he hadn't known what secrets the sewers held. He never imagined there would be a demigod. Yet he still followed the rules of the "Puppet Master," strictly demanding this of himself. And so, he successfully avoided the catastrophe of his "act" being exposed.
"Backlund is truly a dangerous place. The slightest carelessness leads to trouble…" As Klein sighed, he felt that his "Puppet Master" potion had unknowingly been digested a little.
Once he calmed down, he chuckled inwardly.
"So, that guy is still on Böklund Street. He's most likely hiding in Hazel's house, or even right beside her.
"Heh, if that demigod had invaded my dream just a minute or two earlier, he would have seen
"I bet Will Auceptin foresaw this in advance. That's why he chose this specific timeframe, successfully avoiding an encounter with another demigod.
"Too bad, I can't make that Marauder pathway demigod understand how dangerous it is to casually invade dreams in Backlund… Leonard must know a thing or two about this…
Klein dismissed his thoughts. Acting as if nothing had happened, he used meditation to fall asleep again.
By the time the sun rose on the horizon, he woke up naturally. He turned over and sat up, transformed into Gehrman Sparrow, and murmured a prayer.
"…Please convey to Ms. Hermit that the angel has accepted the 'method for temporarily regaining some strength during the weakened period' and has agreed to a transaction at the end of June or the beginning of July.
"You may ask Bernadette when I can meet her."
After finishing his prayer, Klein transformed back into Dwayne Dantès, got up, entered the bathroom, and handled his personal affairs.
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, feeling completely refreshed, he took four steps in reverse, entered the Gray Fog, turned the content of his prayer into an image, and threw it into the crimson star symbolizing "The Hermit."
…………
On the *Future*, docked at a port, "Star Admiral"
Although she believed her own level, mystical knowledge, and mystical items could firmly control Frank Lee once he became a "Druid," recalling his bizarre ideas and terrifying practical ability made her feel things wouldn't be that simple. She really didn't want to attend the
"Good thing he still doesn't have the potion formula for 'Druid.' I don't have to worry about him advancing to Sequence 5 for now…" Cattleya adjusted her glasses, comforting herself.
Just then, an illusory gray fog spread before her eyes, and Gehrman Sparrow's voice sounded in her ears.
"That angel agreed?" The expression of "Star Admiral" Cattleya instantly softened, and a smile uncontrollably appeared.
—She herself already possessed the potion formula for "Mystic." Previously, she had accumulated contributions with the
"Once July comes, July…" Cattleya bit her lip. Her gaze pierced through her thick glasses and slowly swept across the captain's cabin.
…………
On Thursday morning, just as Klein finished a lesson on classical literature, he heard overlapping illusory prayers.
Ascending above the Gray Fog, he found that the supplicant was "The Hermit," Cattleya.
This "Star Admiral" asked Mr. Fool to convey to "The World" that the "Mysterious Queen" had accepted the request. If he was in Backlund, they would meet at 11 p.m. at the entrance of the bridge on the south bank of the Tussock River.
"Bernadette is still lingering in Backlund, huh…" Klein manifested Gehrman Sparrow and gave an affirmative response.
At 10:58 p.m., he entered the bathroom and pulled a paper figurine out of his pocket.
Pah!
Klein shook it, turning the paper figurine into Dwayne Dantès, who sat on the toilet, holding a book, seemingly lost in thought.
Then, Klein shrank by three to four centimeters. His face thinned, his features became much sharper, and he had transformed into Gehrman Sparrow.
Next, the glove on his left hand turned transparent, revealing countless illusory shadows inside.
Klein then saw that the colors around him first became dense, then distinct, layering upon each other, while he himself faded and disappeared from the real world.
He quickly shuttled through the Spirit World, constantly adjusting his direction based on his positioning. In just a few seconds, he appeared at the entrance of the Backlund Bridge on the south bank of the Tussock River.
At this moment, the night was deep. No one was walking on the bridge, and the surroundings were extremely quiet. Only a squad of bridge guards could be faintly seen standing not far away.