Chapter 394: 「The Trickster Mage」

Klein's eyes lit up as he watched the Dragon crash into the Phantom Realm rift, and he merely flicked a Causality Thread at the right moment, slightly altering Herwin Rambis's landing point.

He suddenly glanced around, smiled lightly, leaned back, and vanished.

On the other side, Herwin Rambis only felt a momentary blur before finding himself in a strange small town.

"Teleportation error?" Herwin Rambis breathed a sigh of relief; this wasn't a major issue, as long as he could escape the danger.

He hurriedly pacified his own spirit, withdrawing from his incomplete Mythical Creature state.

Yet, before the dragon scales and dragon wings on his body could recede, he saw many town residents walking out one after another.

The expressions of all the residents were cold and solemn, their eyes seemingly flickering with evil, filthy light.

Herwin Rambis's body stiffened, his dragon scales trembling, as he sensed a danger even more terrifying than when he had faced three Demigod-level combatants earlier!

All the town residents walked silently and firmly toward Herwin Rambis, a scene that reminded him of something.

High atop a tower, Klein sat leisurely in a rocking chair, taking a gentle sip of black tea, while in his other hand, he held a hardcover fairy tale book.

Of course, what terrified him even more was that he had lost the power to communicate with the Collective Subconscious Ocean!

And at one instant, this Demigod suddenly looked up, toward the center of the town.

He lashed out with a dragon claw, its speed faster than a Steam Train, and its force so great that it instantly smashed several town residents into meat paste.

"Done." Having been a "Puppet Master" for so long, he had finally obtained his first living puppet, and it was even a Demigod of the "Spectator" pathway.

Yet, with a flash of white light, the town resident who had just been killed appeared in the crowd once again.

Material after material flew out from Klein, and under the guidance of the Causality Thread, they transformed into a Potion, landing in a goblet.

The princess in the story waved her Magic Wand, the knight charged, and even that world, both illusory and real, came crashing down!

Herwin Rambis was just about to roar, reveal his Mythical Creature Form, and fight to the death, but those stories directly pulled his spirit into a looping narrative, stripping him of all ability to resist.

"Get out!"

A tall tower stood there, and relying on his dragon vision, he could naturally see the person above.

His footsteps retreated continuously; he truly dared not face this town of puppets, but he was eventually forced to the edge of the town, with nowhere left to retreat.

This made Herwin Rambis's expression turn heavy.

Klein threw the fairy tale book in his hand downward.

Klein flicked his fingers lightly, directly grasping his Causality Thread in his hand.

Now, the two main Actors had stepped onto the stage to salute the audience.

And upon noticing Herwin Rambis's gaze, Klein nodded lightly toward him, revealing a smile.

And it had been only a minute since he left the "stage." This minute was more like the preparation before the curtain call.

"One last step remains." Klein, with his puppet Herwin Rambis, tore open the Phantom Realm rift again and appeared in the Real World.

"Welcome to my town, Utopia."

The fairy tale book disintegrated instantly, becoming pages inscribed with specific stories; Dream Phosphor lit up on these pages, and the stories manifested!

This was the power combined from the Phantom Realm Abyss Authority and "Fairy Tale Arrival."

"These are all puppets?!" Herwin Rambis flapped his dragon wings in unease.

This town was far too bizarre; the essence it revealed made even him, a "Spectator" Demigod, feel a chill down his spine.

Klein gently picked up the goblet, raising it slightly to signal to Claude, Audrey, Fors, and the others inside the Dream Church.

Then, without hesitation, Klein drank the Potion in the cup in one gulp, and in passing, Klein used the Causality Thread to retrieve the "Dream Card."

At the same time, his puppet Herwin Rambis bowed slightly to the audience, then opened a Phantom Realm rift, swallowing both their figures.

"The boring play is over; can I leave now?" Adam's eyes flashed as he looked at Chumen, who was resting his head on his hand.

"How could that be? It's only just beginning!" Chumen watched Klein drink that bottle of Potion, his expression finally turning a bit more serious.

"You didn't think I invited you here just to watch this ritual, did you?"

Adam glanced at Chumen, the meaning he wished to convey quite clear.

"Then you have truly misunderstood me."

Chumen suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the sky; in an instant, the entire Backlund was stirred by wind and clouds!

The abruptly appearing black clouds instantly obscured the Sun, not a single ray of sunlight able to fall upon the earth.

It was also at this instant that Adam suddenly looked up at that patch of black clouds.

"Sefirah Castle?!" Even He was somewhat suspicious and uncertain.

That was no black cloud; it was clearly Grey Fog, concentrated to the extreme!

The "Sefirah Castle," which had always been located Above the Spirit World, had manifested in the Real World; this was the truly major event.

Adam suddenly looked at Chumen; with the "Sefirah Castle" in flux, it seemed only Chumen could resolve it.

"Go quickly, or else I shall go kill Antigonus."

An ethereal yet cold voice sounded, and a faint figure appeared behind Chumen—it was the "Hidden Angel."

"..." Chumen looked at Amanises speechlessly; the little wolf was truly miserable.

However, Antigonus possessed the "Fool" Unique, so he could indeed indirectly influence the "Sefirah Castle."

Chumen did not wait any longer, instead closing his eyes and beginning to employ the means he had long since buried within the "Sefirah Castle."

In the Southern Continent, Zaratul, who had always been under the surveillance of the Rose School of Thought, suddenly looked up toward the direction of Backlund.

His tone seemed expectant, "Sefirah Castle..."

His figure dissipated directly, leaving the Rose School of Thought headquarters.

And that Rose Pontiff did not stop him; what kept Zaratul content to imprison himself here was not Him, but the "God of Binding," and Zaratul's ability to leave represented the attitude of the "God of Binding."

Deep in the Mist Sea, a ship more luxurious than a palace broke through the mist and arrived in normal waters.

Amon pushed up his Monocle lightly, the corners of his mouth curling up into a smile, as if he had found some fun toy.

Outside Backlund, Leonard had just disembarked and returned to the City of Cities; he looked up at the suddenly appearing black clouds, feeling a sense of familiarity, and a slightly aged voice echoed within his mind.

"Sefirah Castle..."

The same thing was happening in many places: in the Hornacis Mountain Range, in "Fantasy Land," in the Forsaken Land of the Gods...

As "Sefirah Castle" manifested in the Real World, they all had corresponding sensations.

This... seems to be a signal for war?

Klein knew nothing of this; after drinking the "Bizarro Sorcerer" Potion, his spirit began to change drastically.