In front of the grayish-white grand palace that was more than 200 meters tall, there were a few thick stone columns that were slightly shorter than it was, as though they were a squadron of soldiers standing at attention there.
Klein could imagine that, when the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, was still floating in mid-air, these stone columns would definitely have powerful dragons crouching on them.
These were the servants of the ancient god.
He then looked up at the open door and said to Leonard and Audrey, âStay close to me. Once an accident happens, Iâll immediately take you out of the book world and return directly above the gray fog.â
This was the main reason why Klein dared to explore the area.
âOkay.â Audrey and Leonard didnât try putting on a brave front as they walked to Kleinâs side and walked alongside him.
Relying on their Spirit Bodiesâ flight ability, the trio passed the stairs and entered the palace through the exaggerated and magnificent door.
The first thing they saw was a wide space that was enough for multiple dragons to roll around freely, as well as an ancient stone pillars that seemed to prop up the sky.
On the two sides of the hall, there were colorful and beautiful murals. They kept extending forward and intertwining themselves with a huge pillar that was multiple arm spans wide.
The giant pillar was in the deepest recesses of the hall right ahead of them. Without relying on anything else, just the pillar alone was enough to make people feel a strong sense of fear and make them experience the vicissitudes of time. It was like a fossilized deity.
Almost instantly, a grayish-white figure appeared on the pillar.
The figure was covered in scales, and every scale resembled a sturdy stone slab. Just the faint outline of the figure made it seem epic.
Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt! Just as this thought flashed through Kleinâs mind, he heard an oddly familiar voice echoing in the spacious hall:
âDragon of Imagination, Ankewelt!â
As Klein looked around in astonishment, he heard Leonard sigh emotionally.
âThe deep air listenâd round âHimâ as âHeâ rode, âAnd all the low wind hardly breathed for fear[l]...n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
...This fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem heâs reciting... Klein turned to look at Leonard. Then, he heard an echo:
âThis fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem heâs reciting...â
At this moment, Leonardâs expression was one of shock. He shut his mouth tightly and shook his head in denial.
But the next second, a voice sounded beside him:
âI didnât recite anything!â
âWhatâs going on? Strange...â At the same moment Klein had this thought, he realized that the strangely familiar voice belonged to him.
As it echoed again, repeating the thoughts that flashed through Kleinâs mind.
Then, Audreyâs gentle and mumbling voice sounded:
âThis... This hall is able to let our thoughts present themselves in our surroundings, and is even able to conjure them? Hmm...When I saw that huge pillar just now, I was imagining what the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt looked like. It was based on the blueprint of the mind dragon I saw before...
âWhy is whatever Iâm sayingâNo, indeed, the âhallâ articulates it...â
So thatâs the case. Luckily, I didnât think of anything strange just now. Yes, rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts... Klein began to use Cogitation to focus his mind and not let his imagination run wild.
At the same time, the corresponding words echoed around him almost in sync:
â...rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts...â
âSo thatâs what Mr. Worldâs inner world is like. Heâs like a child who just started school, constantly emphasizing matters that he needs to take attention of. Also, the image for his Cogitation is actually layers of spherical lights. Itâs so beautiful. No, no, Iâm not thinking of this! Iâm not describing you like this. Mr_ World, I_m seriousã^ thoughts kept appearing as she finally couldnât help but curl her lips.
As for Leonard, the voices around him were already echoing with âHahaha.â
âThese two fellows... No, why am I using âfellowâ? Be polite, be more polite...â As Klein listened to his thoughts, he sighed helplessly. âThis place is very suitable for playing âTruth or Dare.â Perhaps it should be called âthe Hall of Truth....â
âWhat game is that?â Audrey didnât need to open her mouth to express her doubts.
âIt was probably invented by Emperor Roselle... I have to be careful not to think about things I shouldnât think about. Seriously, itâs too difficult to rein in random thoughts without the use of Cogitation...â As Klein replied, he habitually warned himself, only to have the hall ruthlessly betray him again.
This time, Audrey laughed and said, âHaha, Mr. World actually has such a side to him. I actually failed to read it in the past...â
âHahaha, to think youâre experiencing such a day, Klein. No, what did I say...â Leonard suddenly raised his right hand and covered his mouth.
Unsurprisingly, he heard Miss Justiceâs âquestionâ:
âKlein?â
And a certain someoneâs complaint:
âPerhaps only turning them into marionettes can stop these fellows from having wild thoughts. Wait, what was I thinking? Phew, calm down, calm down...â
Klein took a deep breath and began to focus his attention on the matter itself.
âLetâs take a look at what the murals describe. In ancient times, murals were very important methods for recording memories. They often contain plenty of information...â
At the same time he made the suggestion, he heard Audreyâs inner thoughts laugh and think:
âKleinâis this Mr. Worldâs real name? No, noâDonât think too much about it. Mr. World will be angry. No, I think itâs more likely for him to feel embarrassed. No, noâthis is all Lieâs fault. Mr. World, please believe me! Phew, calm down. Calm down! Focus. Focus!â
Using the Spectator pathwayâs ability to control her emotions and thoughts, Audrey gradually reined in her thoughts and cast her gaze on the mural on the right.
Compared to them, Leonardâs ability to control his mind was slightly weaker. There were still plenty of random thoughts resounding around him.
âTurning into marionettes... Is this fellow that dangerous now? Tsk tsk, so this is whatâs truly on your mind. Haha, Miss Justiceâs reaction is very interesting... I havenât seen that fellow in such an embarrassing situation in a long time...â
When Klein and Audrey began seriously looking at the murals and were exchanging their thoughts through the stirrings in their hearts, only then did Leonard gradually calm his thoughts and focus his attention.
The mural on the right depicted historic developments. There was a scene of human construction, scenes of snow- covered plains, war and migration, various nations and cities, as well as towers and fruits that represented zero communication barriers...
It was obvious that these murals started from the entrance and ended at the Dragon of Imaginationâs throne.
Towards the end, Klein suddenly noticed a familiar figure.
It was a gigantic dragon with bluish-blue eyes and ice-crystal scales.
It was the King of the North, Ulyssan!
âThis... The book worldâs development is based on these murals?â As Kleinâs thoughts were exposed, he quickly looked back and found many blurry-faced adventurers hunting the frost dragon before opening a door to leave. The snow and ice melted before flourishing cities like Pessote appeared. They then discovered the weather turning cold, implying an end in which a new story was about to unfold.
âThe contents of the murals will become reality in this book world?â Audrey couldnât help but have such a thought.
âThis wall, this mural looks very ordinary. Itâs not even as good as the works of street artists... As expected of the Dragon of Imaginationâs residence. Is this the power and authority of an ancient god...?â Leonard similarly had poignant thoughts.
âItâs possible.â Before Klein could give a more tactful reply, he heard his own voice. âLetâs look at the murals on the other side before putting everything together for analysis.â
Leonard and Audrey didnât object and followed him to the other side.
During this process, they realized that even their Spirit Bodies couldnât fly in the palace.
As the murals were huge, it didnât take much walking before the three of them could see the corresponding content. The first mural near the entrance made Kleinâs pupils suddenly dilate.
In the mural, a giant with blurry looks, grayish-blue skin, and a single vertical was holding a hard-covered book in his hand!
âThis...â Klein heard his own shocked and hesitant voice.
In the subsequent murals, the common highlight was the goatskin binding. There was a dark brown-covered book: it was obtained by the elves; the words on its surface changed; it was being put into a collection; It was obtained by different people, and it kept exchanging hands until it flew above the clouds and came to the cosmos where it landed on a gigantic claw.
In the next mural, the book seemed to have nothing to do with the scenes in front. It suddenly appeared over the surface of the sea and stayed inside a blurry ship.
In the penultimate mural, it was taken away by a man wearing a top hat before he left that ship.
The next mural was located behind the gigantic pillar suspected to be Dragon of Imagination Ankeweltâs throne. It depicted that the book from before met a classic quill.
At this point, all the murals came to an end.
â0-08!â Leonardâs shocked voice echoed in the hall.
âThe Dragon of Imagination wants to create a set with the book and quill? What will happen? When dealing with Ince Zangwill, this scene almost appeared... But ultimately, it didnât happen because the book landed in my hands... before I sacrificed it to Mr. Fool. Otherwise, Adam was already prepared against it and deliberately provided some help?
âOh right, previously while inside Groselleâs Travels, the moment the ascetic mentioned the Angel of Imagination Adam, the frost dragon attacked the camp ... It was because the book itself didnât allow him to finish his sentence, or had Adam heard his thoughts which became a connection for âHimâ to see and cast his gaze over, stirring up a certain reaction?â Kleinâs thoughts wandered before sounding it out loud.
During this process, he could only control himself to treat The Fool as another existence.
At the same time as he âspoke,â Audreyâs thoughts appeared:
âThe contents on this mural will become reality in the physical world?â
[1] Adapted from Tennysonâs Godiva.