Above the boundless gray fog, in the majestic ancient palace.
Klein didn't rush to divine; he first responded to The Hanged Man Alger's sacrificial ritual and brought over the staff made from an Ocean Singer Beyonder characteristic.
"Sea's Words… The name makes me feel strangely nostalgic. I'll go with it… It's basically a fully weakened version of the Trident of the Sea, without the Lightning Storm, Tsunami, and other demigod-level abilities… But it does have a lot of negative effects…" Klein mused as he savored The Hanged Man's description while stroking the deep black head inlaid with silver-white metal.
Perhaps due to the natural suppression of the mysterious space above the Gray Fog, this extraordinary staff did not exhibit any living characteristics; it lay there quietly, as if it were the most ordinary piece of wood.
Klein nodded slightly and said silently to himself:
"It is indeed a troublesome point for a magical item to have living characteristics, but from another angle, it also means it can be communicated with. That fellow, the Die of Probability, was so vicious at first, but didn't it become obedient after receiving education?
"Moreover, I can always have a servant carry it. Yes, Winner Enzo is quite suitable. Although he no longer has passive luck, he has been accumulating luck to prepare for critical moments. Releasing a little won't affect anything. This way, whether he trips, falls, or gets whipped, he can dodge nimbly without drawing attention.
"Think about it carefully—the staff's pranks aren't entirely useless. If I encounter another Puppet Master, a Spirit World Plunderer, or a Prankster Fiend, and lose the initiative, get initially controlled, and my thinking and actions become sluggish, breaking free on my own would be difficult. At that time, being suddenly whipped by the uncontrolled staff or tripping over it would help me escape the predicament, wouldn't it?
"Sigh, if used well, the negative effects of magical items can also be a big help…
"Of course, in normal combat, similar pranks can also bring unnecessary danger. How to balance them and how to avoid them must be explored through repeated use."
As for the negative effect of the wielder being easily struck by lightning during thunderstorms, Klein didn't mind. First, unless it's a special area, thunderstorm weather is rare; most of the time it doesn't need to be considered. Second, as a Seer, divining the day's weather before going out is standard procedure. Finally, if he really couldn't avoid a thunderstorm, Klein could hand the staff to his puppet Enzo, so that even if lightning struck the Winner, it would be directed away by a nearby lightning rod.
"I just hope I'm not that lightning rod…" Klein chuckled wryly and considered the most troubling negative effect of all:
The transcendental singing broadcast every 6 hours!
It's indiscriminate and random, an AoE super weapon! (Note 1)
After some thought, Klein decided to communicate with the Sea's Words staff to reduce the frequency of singing or to give a warning before singing.
"I had lunch early today; by my calculation, Creeping Hunger should be about to howl…" Klein said thoughtfully as he took off the human-skin glove on his left hand and threw it into the open area in front of the junk pile.
Then he picked up the deep black staff with silver-white metal inlay, threw it over as well, and used a little power from the mysterious space above the Gray Fog to create a barrier that could block all sound and light, leaving Creeping Hunger and Sea's Words alone together.
Having done this, Klein lightly clapped his hands, manifested paper and pen, and wrote a divination statement:
"It is dangerous for me to reconnoiter the outer area of Calderón City today."
Putting down the dark red round-bodied fountain pen, Klein took the pendulum from his sleeve, held it in his left hand, and dangled it over the paper, almost touching it.
After silently reciting the divination statement seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the yellow crystal pendant motionless, not swinging.
This meant the divination had failed.
"The specifics of Calderón City are a secret to the entire Spirit World; divination lacks sufficient premise… Moreover, it was once the Divine Kingdom of an Ancient God, with modified resurrection arrangements left behind, which also interfere with divination…" Klein put away the pendulum and pondered. "I can only choose to believe Red Light's claim that the outer area of Calderón is not very dangerous… Besides, I have puppets; I can send them in first to confirm whether the area can block the Gray Fog. If it can, then I'll give up. If not, I'll enter myself."
Klein quickly reached a decision. Without further hesitation, he waved his hand and removed the barrier he had created earlier.
Then he saw that Creeping Hunger had retreated to the edge of the junk pile, propping itself up on three fingers, with its thumb and pinky pressed backward against Grosell's Travels, looking weak and about to collapse.
At the same time, a mouth split open on its palm, revealing two rows of illusory, white gleaming teeth, and it kept panting.
On the other side of the barrier, the deep black staff inlaid with silver-white metal lay on the ground, occasionally twitching, with slightly azure transparent bubbles gurgling from its top.
"Good, so it's finally quiet…" Seeing this scene, Klein muttered with relief.
Just as he spoke, the Sea's Words staff suddenly stood up, as if held by someone, and "jumped" up and down toward Klein, bypassing the seat of The Fool and hiding on the other side. Creeping Hunger, using its five fingers as feet, chased after it with difficulty, but halfway through, it fell with a thud.
Klein watched silently, then heaved a long sigh.