The God of Jesters
Chapter 200 - 3.15.4 Last key.

Chapter 200: 3.15.4 Last key.

The knowledge of the forbidden is never meant for the mortal eyes. Even beings like me, who didn’t even have a body will suffer from it.

"Hmm... this fuzzy feeling? Seems like my contract was severed as well." large parts of my soul power were dissipating into the dream space, and no matter what I could try, I knew that it could never be recovered.

Contracts, curses, and corruption, all of it was based on sacrifice. And due to my connection with Max, I suffered a huge shock, even if I never saw what made the people so mad there. My choice of running away from the scene was the correct one.

Who knows, my suffering might have been much worse than before.

And no, I know what you wonderful gods might be thinking. But this was really out of my expectations, I had never intended for things to go this far. There is a limit that Bothal can ignore a problem.

Even my simple attack on one of the Company’s facilities, no matter how great, will be put under the rug by the party involved in fear of getting caught by the leaders of Bothal. A thief won’t cry of thievery in his home.

They won’t dare to attract any attention, no matter how much harm I cause them.

But this... this was different. Much different than I had anticipated.

In the notes I have read about the Thousand-Faced Lakram and how it maintains its legacy, there was no mention of it being capable of protecting its scion in such a way.

Not to mention, for a dead deity, this was a bit too bizarre, too timely. As if it was alive in one way or another.

Which would become problematic for me. But ignoring all of that. What I worried about was Bothal and the monsters that sat at the head of it.

Legends that haven’t shown their face for years and the reason I was able to spread so wide and became courageous as time went on.

But with this incident, I don’t think I would have as high maneuverability as before. There is a high chance, that multiple Arch level figures will be entering the city not long after the case of the Godly corruption had been dealt with. Making no place safe in the city.

Nothing will be sacred.

They will rip the city asunder to drag the source of this corruption and eliminate him before something bad happens.

That’s how bad this incident was. It was something that had just ruined every single plan I made. Max has ruined all of it and even I would have to leave this city.

Even the little safe horse I had provided them won’t be hidden for long at this point.

But first, I have to deal with something more important.

"Purging this would require great sacrifice." I thought while looking at my imaginary body as the corruption spread.

Guess, I would have to go into hiding as well.

*****

Krotus was far from the war and barely witnessed anything.

But one thing he did know, something bad happened above him, something so evil that there were cries of countless people echoing through the hill.

Making him curious and almost making him leave his hideout. But he held on, he suppressed his curiosity and looked around, knowing that there were some movements on the opposite side and there was barely any way to escape from this place. As the whole hill was surrounded.

"Kid, I don’t have much time... you have to lead them out of here." I can’t expose Max to the fact that I have been keeping an eye on him. I have to keep on the act of the insect, to make him think that I use the insect as a way to contact him.

But it was not like I could use that method anymore. He was deep into some bizarre dream that even I couldn’t enter. And if I tried, I understood that the stain on my soul would increase in size. So that was not an option at all.

Leaving only this kid, someone who forced his way here. His purpose was to watch the fight from a distance while enjoying some chaos. Which he did from the smile on his face. A fact that I appreciated very much.

Now this is someone who knows how to enjoy a good show.

But enough about him, for now, he is the only one that can help me now.

"But how? Me leading them away?... Haha, doesn’t this mean that I had to save them?"

"That’s right, and don’t worry about the encirclement... just sacrifice your little pinkie finger when you are at the border... I will do the rest."

"My finger?... I like my finger."

"Then you can be forced to go back to your old life after being captured by the police... no, it will probably be worse. A jail cell with nothing to do."

"..."

And like that, I negotiated a small deal with this kid. Letting him get what he wants while saving the little entourage carried by Sheva.

"Remember to take them out of the city, it won’t be safe anymore. At least for a few months."

There needs to be a delay, who knows how much progress the Company makes during the days I am not here, and how most of the information I hold will be turned redundant and out of date within those months?

Months that will be long enough for me to recover.

*****

Carp’s hands flew over the dried-up finger that his Master brought to him.

A finger that had lost most of the potential it held after being used as a medium to cast a harmful curse.

But none of that actually mattered to Carp. What he wanted from the finger was not the potential, but its DNA.

"Lock analyzed, the modification is successful." Carp was a thief by nature. A master thief if one were to ask. He had focused his entire life on cracking various locks, whether they be magic or mechanical.

But this DNA one was an odd one.

The lower you go into the Company’s facility, the higher clearance you need before they can enter. Including only a few individuals possessing the key, which usually happened to be their blood mixed with a magical key that when used in tandem would open the doors for them and other researchers that worked under them.

It was where all the things that Max had collected came into use. All of them are useless things on the surface, or if one were to learn of the occult, they would know the other uses. But all of it was just a misconception.

All the ones who I had hit before had already gone to some shamans or exorcists to get themselves protective charms. There was no way for me to harm them using the things Max stole from them.

Even if the path of Curse was in decline, it didn’t mean it was a thing of the past. Even in a technologically advanced city such as Bothal. Magic might be rare, but curse power never is. Even dwarves fear it and they have their own methods to deal with it, using the religious churches and shamanic powers from eccentric dwarfs living outside of the city.

So the moment I had ordered Max to steal them, most of the influential targets with some money in their pocket already bought themselves protective charms.

But this is what I wanted.

"They are finally onto us... I guess Guro’s fireworks really entered them for too long." One of the cult members said, causing the man named Guro to have a bright smile on his face, with a hint of embarrassment. "Ha, I never expected their flesh to pop like that under intense heat."

The facility was on lockdown, there were screams and cries everywhere. Many died through the fire, some through poison, and multiple of the security that died through a bomb blast, which included multiple Master level Knights wearing the latest armor that were not even publicly available.

But against this bunch of adepts and one apprentice-level Knights, none of the obstacles were much of an issue.

The tools they brought were lethal enough, their planning was even crueler, using perfect tactics to cause the greatest harm to the enemies.

Turning the whole facility into hell, while they laughed and enjoyed their small outing as if it was nothing.

But they also understood why it was all so easy this time. Without the information support, tools, and the key. Their whole attack would have ended prematurely.

All of it was given to them by their little god.

"Cracked... it’s cracked... finally... haha. No locks can defeat me." Carp smiled heavily, as the curse power danced on his hand, finally cracking the door, which was keeping them away from the target.

And as the gate opened, the group moved out of the way almost instinctively, as the aura of the grandmaster tried to lock them in.

"He really is here?" With those words, the group knew that they were exposed. But none of them panicked. Not even in front of a strong foe.

"It’s your turn, old dwarf." One of the cult members called out to Olfa, a weak apprentice who could never fulfill the dream of becoming a true Knight, while he wasted away his youth in pursuit of strength that never came to him, due to his limited talent.

But none of that mattered now.

"Finally... It’s my turn... remember my name, Its Olfa Kan."

"Shut up." With those words, the body of Olfa turned into a red mist. The Grandmaster-level Knight was not stupid enough to let his opponent cook something dangerous.