Chapter 425 A Journey of Reminiscence
"Mr. Azik!"
Angel exclaimed in surprise.
Although she had seen Azik suddenly appear once before, she was still prepared to fight when something unusual happened around her. She didn't relax until she recognized the person in front of her.
Klein saw Azik take off his hat, revealing his neatly combed black short hair. He also smiled and greeted him.
"I'm a little unaccustomed to coming to warm and pleasant Bayam."
Azik said with a slight smile, took off his tuxedo, hung it and his top hat on the coat rack, and returned to sit down on the sofa.
Seeing the colorful and avant-garde vest under the other party's tuxedo, Angel understood something.
"Have you been to Intis recently?"
"Yes, I just came back from Trier. Although it's the coldest season there, the citizens are very welcoming, and the local cuisine is much better than Loen. If I weren't trying to regain my memories, I'd almost want to settle there."
Azik took the coffee from Klein, took a sip, and replied.
"Is it because of the letter we sent?"
Klein asked doubtfully.
"The contents of the letter inspired me. Searching for memories doesn't have to be limited to the Kingdom of Loen and the places I remembered," Azik nodded, put down his coffee cup, leaned forward, crossed his legs, and said seriously, "I went to Bansi Island and Trier in Intis, and I remembered a lot of things."
"That's really good news."
Angel was sincerely happy that this man, who may have lived for thousands of years but only had a few decades of memory, was able to regain his memory.
"It's the same with you. I studied the symbol in the letter, but I don't have any trace of it in my memory. My attempt to restore the ritual in the caves on Bansi Island also failed. There's a power there that's not quite the same as 'death,' but similar to it. It could be said to be a force that brings disaster and change."
"Is it related to Bansi Island's unpredictable weather?" Klein asked after taking a sip of coffee.
"Perhaps, that force is not pure destruction, but an extreme 'change'. Whether good or bad has nothing to do with it."
Azik frowned, as if lost in some memory.
"The same power exists beneath Trier, particularly in the 'catacombs' Angel mentioned. After discovering that the ritual couldn't be activated, I used spirit travel to travel directly to Trier. That prosperous, free city reminded me of certain experiences in my past life, but they were occasional visits during peacetime, not the memories I truly needed to recover.
"I tried to enter the 'catacombs,' but my spirit told me there was something terrifying underground, devouring everything that came near. The two floors near the ground were relatively normal, but I didn't dare enter the third floor."
Angel was very surprised to hear the word "dare not" from such a powerful being, but it made sense when he thought about it. The other party might not be afraid of death, or even had long been accustomed to death. But now that he had the hope of regaining his true memories, he would certainly not accept dying in vain and becoming another ignorant "Azik" again.
"Strangely, the catacombs' 'candle' requirement had no effect on me. Even when I didn't light a candle myself, I wasn't attacked, and I still remember certain visitors disappearing before my eyes. I believe this 'curse' is part of the catacombs as a whole, intended to secure a seal somewhere beneath them. Those victims were likely 'necessary sacrifices.'
"Of course, this inference is limited to my own path. Perhaps it is the influence of the aura of death below the tomb that makes me different."
This is similar to my experience, but I'm only Sequence 5, while the Sequence 7 "Eighth Round" magician is very cautious. Obviously, mid-sequences are normally affected by the Catacombs. Could this be related to the different potion paths... Angel pondered.
"Perhaps this is why the Trier authorities haven't restricted access to the cemetery. Are they using these lives as a kind of sacrifice, just like Bishop Miller of Bansy Port tried to do, sacrificing a small number of people to preserve the majority?"
Klein stroked his smooth chin and spoke slowly.
"Sacrifice... I witnessed with my own eyes a group of dozens of young people attending a trendy wedding held in a cemetery. In the panic caused by the accident, half of them, including the groom, accidentally dropped and extinguished their candles. Then they all disappeared before my eyes. The remaining half, however, continued the wedding without the groom as if nothing had happened... They said they were rehearsing a play."
There was a hint of regret in Azik's tone.
"The silver lining in this misfortune is that this allowed me to glimpse the truth about 'death'. The power of the tomb concealed their bodies, took away their souls, and sealed everyone's memories of them. This is definitely not something that a magical item or a level 0 seal can do. It is likely the power of the divine authority."
"secret?"
Angel repeated carefully.
"Yes, this reminds me of a lot of things, including the 'Four Emperors' War' I experienced, and a certain catastrophe afterwards that I don't remember much about anymore." Azik nodded and continued, "Among these memories, I remember several of the names mentioned in the letter."
"'Marian' was the Pope of the Church of Evernight during the 'War of the Four Emperors', an angel of the Path of Evernight; 'Chrismena' was a high-ranking witch of the Witch Cult, also an angel who participated in the war and fell in Trier in the Fourth Epoch; 'Lius' was the 'Archon of Death', a title that reminds me of many things... I've even met him before."
At this point, Azik's expression was somewhat painful. Angel quickly poured him some hot coffee and stopped asking questions, letting this poor man who had lost his past calm down.
"Thank you. I'm just lost in too many memories," Azik said, ignoring the scalding heat. He drank the coffee in one gulp and slowly exhaled. "With the help of these names, I've pieced together some memories of that time. In Trier in the Fourth Epoch, a battle took place involving many angels, even gods themselves. Countless powerful warriors perished there, and the entire city was destroyed. The Trier that has been created now feels unfamiliar to me. It's a completely different city."
Listening to the narration of this "immortal" from a thousand years ago, Angel felt an inexplicable sense of astonishment. She couldn't understand the loneliness revealed in Mr. Azik's words, but if she put herself in his shoes, if she knew that the cities she had lived in in her previous life, such as London and New York, were buried beneath Backlund, she might also be like him, lost in memories.
"So, what about the 'Night Pillars' named after them?"
After a long while, Klein asked in a low voice.
"I didn't go down to the third floor and didn't see those black stone pillars, but I can guess that they were made from the remains of dead angels, who no longer have Beyonder characteristics but still retain their power. Their purpose was to hide the remains of the war and prevent it from affecting New Trier above."
"That's pretty much what we thought. Regardless of what happened to Crismena and... the others, at least Marianne is the Pope of the True God Church. Her remains can't be used for evil purposes, even in Intis, where the Church of Evernight no longer preaches."
Thinking that "Leius" was someone Mr. Azik knew, Angel quickly changed his words.
"Perhaps. I'll try to continue exploring the places and events in my memory and recover the memories of that era," Azik said noncommittally, changing the subject. "As for you, it's best not to investigate further. At least wait until you become demigods before you come into contact with this power. Otherwise, you may lose control or even die."
Azik's tone was like a teacher reminding students to be careful on their way home from school. Angel and Klein nodded repeatedly, indicating that the matter of Bansy Port was over.
Of course, Angel couldn't hide the deep disappointment on his face.
"However, the power contained in that mysterious rune seems to have some strange effect on Angel. If necessary, you can try to use the power of the rune, for example, to create a spell."
Azik added with a smile on his face, noticing Angel's visibly downcast mood.
"Like a 'sleeping spell' or a 'dream spell'?"
Klein took out two silver charms from his pocket, handed them to Azik, and asked.
The latter took it, glanced at it and put it down.
"That's different. Based on the experience you described in your letter, I believe the spell created with your blood can trigger a certain 'disaster' power. Of course, it can't compare to the power gained by praying to a real god, but the 'disaster' spell may sometimes be more effective than 'death'."
Thinking of that strange night in Bansy Harbor and the power that allowed him to travel thousands of miles to Trier, Angel nodded.
After briefly teaching how to make the talisman, Azik stood up from the sofa somewhat tiredly and walked towards the coat rack at the door.
Angel knew that such High-Sequence Beyonders generally didn't feel physically tired, but such a "journey through memory" would probably put a great deal of pressure on his spirit. Therefore, he didn't continue to ask for answers to his inner doubts. Instead, he watched him put on his tuxedo and top hat and return to him.
"I will continue to explore various places. If I find any information related to this rune, or any anomalies in Bansy Harbor or Trier, I will contact you promptly. Of course, if you insist on continuing your exploration and discover new clues, you can also let me know through the messenger."
He saluted like a Loen gentleman, and without any other movement, the surrounding environment once again became vibrantly colored.
"Finally, I wish you a happy new year."
As Azik's gentle voice came, the man who was running around searching for his memories disappeared before their eyes.
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