Lord of the Mysteries

After some wrestling with the Sea God Scepter, Klein gained a preliminary understanding of its powers.

It could create tsunamis, create hurricanes, produce torrential rain, and bring forth lightning. It could allow a person to fly in the sky and roam the seabed with almost no restrictions.

It was nearly indestructible and could be used to smash an enemy’s head in. It allowed the wielder to never get lost without the existence of any other powerful factors. It would provide an unimaginable level of balance, drive many sea creatures to do one’s bidding, respond to prayers from believers, and also allow the wielder to obtain the same kind of strength as a sea monster. It was equivalent to making the wielder the ruler of an entire expanse of the sea.

To Klein, this was already considered at the level of a deity. Even on Earth, he could resist an aircraft carrier formation!

Although he was Sequence 6 with plenty of pragmatic Beyonder powers, making him a genuine powerhouse, a legendary figure, in the eyes of ordinary people, he was still weak in essence. He was still closer to Man rather than God. If the situation was right, a revolver would be able to finish him off. Of course, his resurrection and act of climbing out of a coffin was a whole other matter.

As for the powers of the Sea God Scepter, they had all surpassed the level of Man. In the folklore and in the hearts of the common man, he possessed the powers of deities and devils.

No wonder Beyonders are called demigods from Sequence 4. They truly are more like God than Man… Klein silently sighed with emotion, and then he made a self-deprecating comment.

If I use the Sea God Scepter under normal circumstances, I can already be a high-ranking deacon of the Nighthawks, becoming one of the twenty-odd people with the most power in the Church… If Ince Zangwill didn’t have 0-08 and was at sea, I could immediately seek revenge on him. There might even be a small chance of success.

But can I use the Sea God Scepter normally?

No…

Klein had already discovered that the negative effects of the Sea God Scepter were staggering. In the Church of Evernight, it could easily obtain the evaluation of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, and countless researchers would have to die to figure out the best sealing and usage methods.

The Sea God Scepter had a total of three negative effects.

First, it made the wielder irritable, making them prone to anger and turning rash as a result.

Second, it periodically froze all thoughts of biological creatures in a certain range before draining their blood, including the wielder’s. As for how huge the range was and what the exact period was, Klein, who wasn’t a professional researcher, couldn’t give a precise description. He could only give a rough estimate that the range was from 600 meters to 1 kilometer and the period was 20 minutes to 35 minutes.

Third, it would gather and display the prayers of worshipers, both audio and visual. This very easily caused a non-demigod wielder, who had a lacking spirit, to break down and lose control.

The first negative effect is still alright. If I were to only use it for a short period of time, the anger and irritation would still be acceptable. To put it simply, I’ll just end things rashly with such a powerful Sealed Artifact…

For the third, there’s actually a way to avoid it. The Sea God’s response to its believers must have a distance limitation. That is to say that beyond the Rorsted Archipelago and the nearby sea regions, there would be no “signal,” so one wouldn’t be influenced by it. Yes… if it’s constantly placed above the gray fog, I believe this can break the distance limitation. The prayers’ voices and scenes would be screened, turning into points of light. It wouldn’t affect me in any way. I can then choose whether to reply, who to reply to, and how to reply…

And when replying, I can use the powers of the Sea God Scepter…

The biggest problem is the second one. I myself am fine. As Dark Emperor, I’m considered a wraith; I wouldn’t have blood, so there’s no need to be afraid of being sucked dry. However, the surrounding creatures will be in trouble. After all, it doesn’t distinguish between friend and foe. Besides, the frequency is quite unpredictable… It’s impossible for me to first discuss with the enemy when I encounter danger about changing our time and place.

Klein carefully thought about certain scenarios of him using the Sea God Scepter, but it all depended on the environment and accurate judgment, so it wasn’t very feasible.

Phew… could its fate be to stay above the gray fog? When people like Amon attempt to creep up, I’ll give them a bashing, no—a bolt of lightning.

Yes, there’s another usage method. When people like Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man seek my help, I’m no longer limited to using paper angels. I can provide rain and produce some wind… Of course, this can be done like the purifying powers of the Sun Brooch, using the paper angel as a vessel…

On some serious thought, I can fully appear like a true demigod above the gray fog, with the help of the Sea God Scepter…

Klein’s mood gradually became better, as he had discovered that the Sea God Scepter wasn’t completely unusable at the moment. It opened up many more options and avenues for him.

He withdrew his attention and once again looked at the white bone scepter with the blue gems embedded at the top. He pondered over another question, and that was whether or not he should respond to the prayers of the followers of the Sea God.

Kalvetua is already dead. There’s no need to give those people another target of their faith…

But, even if the living priests and high-ranking members of the Resistance notice the abnormality and no longer receive any responses, they still wouldn’t accept the worst outcome for a long period of time. People will often hold out hope and are accustomed to comforting themselves and hypnotizing themselves. This is especially the case when they’re in a perilous situation with no hope to be seen. Just like the City of Silver, after two thousand years, they’re still consecrating the Creator, believing that they had been abandoned and that they would receive a response one day…

That is to say that the fervent believers of the Sea God will not stop their live sacrifices just because they didn’t receive a response, being unconvinced that Kalvetua has already perished. Instead, they will become worse, hoping to gain the favor of their god… Without years of promotions and setbacks, it will be difficult for them to realize the truth.

Without the support of a native deity like Kalvetua, the Resistance would probably fall entirely into Feysac’s or Intis’s camp. At that time, they would most likely be driven to do inhuman things, such as attacking places where civilians gather, or to make children who still retain their innocence act as meat shields…

I need to give them some guidance. I need to tell them what the correct way of practicing their faith is, but I should only help them without burdening myself… I’m not responsible for saving their fates…

Klein gently rapped the edge of the long, mottled table and suddenly chuckled.

Wasn’t I supposed to act? Sea God Kalvetua is quite a good target.

I wonder if I’ll get any feedback with the gray fog’s interference.

Heh heh, I have to give it a try to figure it out.

Klein quickly made his decision, feeling strangely refreshed.

He deliberated for a moment. First, he conjured a necessary scene, then he held onto the Sea God Scepter, spreading out his spirituality before touching one of the points of light.

…

In a hidden cave in the forest of Blue Mountain Island.

The bald rebel, Kalat, fell from his wheelchair, his eyes filled with despair and confusion as he crawled towards the shattered figurine of Kalvetua in front of him.

He vaguely sensed something, but he was unwilling to believe it. This meant that all of his persistence, all of his sacrifices, and all of his pain would become meaningless.

No… he screamed silently as he constantly muttered the honorific name of Sea God Kalvetua in an attempt to get a response from the deity.

With his elbows on the ground, his fingers reached into the soil as he moved towards the front of the shattered figurine one inch at a time. He picked up the head of the sea serpent that was carved out of stone, and he found that its eyes had collapsed inwardly to become a strange black hole, and its fangs were falling off one after another.

Kalat seemed to freeze; the light in his eyes seemingly vanishing.

It was at this moment that he suddenly saw a blurry figure. Behind the figure was a dark blue tsunami surging into the sky and streaks of silver lightning that branched out like tree branches.

Amidst his shock, Kalat instinctively lowered his head, an unimaginable sense of joy surging inside him.

He saw that the figure’s feet were surrounded by waves, and there were hurricanes swirling around him. The figure was majestic and holy, high and almighty.

Then, he heard a calm and magnificent voice.

“I have returned.”

As his voice echoed in the air, Kalat teared up for some inexplicable reason.

…

Ten minutes after Klein left the bottom of the sea ruin which was half-merged with the spirit world.

The seawater that filled this place suddenly churned and flowed backward. In just twenty to thirty seconds, the inside of the elven ruin was so dry that it resembled dry land.

A fresh hurricane blew in, bringing in breathable gas.

One figure after another descended from the hurricane, and leading them was a tall and brawny middle-aged man. He appeared to be in his forties with a face with firm and deep lines. His accentuated muscles filled with loose Storm priest robes.

He was none other than the Church of Storms Cardinal, Archbishop of the Rorsted Sea, high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman.

He had a pair of deep blue eyes, and his hair of the same color was twice as thick as a normal person’s. They were like small worms or tentacles.

Behind Jahn Kottman were a number of Mandated Punishers and military personnel. They examined their surroundings expectantly and cautiously, not letting their guard down because of the demigod’s protection up ahead.

At this moment, they heard a snort, and they were immediately swept up by a hurricane, arriving at the doorway of the ruin in one fell swoop.

They saw a huge sea serpent reduced to a sludge of flesh and blood, with its bone exposed. Other than that, there was nothing else.

“Who is it!” Jahn Kottman suppressed his anger and growled.

As he shouted these words, a sea wave crashed down from above.

The sea wave reverberated in the half-collapsed hall, quickly calming to form a windless lake.

The surface of the lake reflected the scene from before: An indiscernible figure pulling up a short white staff inlaid with blue gems, causing the sea to churn and the ruins to quake.

Jahn Kottman took a deep breath and turned his back to the crowd.

“Find him.”

…

At that moment, Klein had selected a dozen or so believers to respond to, each of whom was relatively important, mainly by giving out a new covenant.

“I have returned, when the past is pardoned, I will redeem you.

“First commandment: Thou shalt not sacrifice unto me living human sacrifices.”