(Im back for now)
September 24th.
At 2:40 PM, Klein entered the mysterious space above the gray fog ahead of time.
Inside the grand and ancient palace, he took his seat at the Fool's position and took a deep breath.
Since this was his first time, he felt a bit nervous and needed to familiarize himself in advance.
Opposite the mottled bronze-green long table, he quickly materialized the dummy "World" and silently practiced his operations.
At 3:00 PM, streaks of light rose within the palace, reminiscent of a giant's dwelling. The members of the Tarot Club projected their hazy, slightly red-tinted silhouettes one after another.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool. Good afternoon, Mr. Lover…"
A girl's crisp and cheerful voice echoed in the grand palace, but before she could finish greeting everyone, her voice abruptly stopped.
Because this time, there were three additional members in the Tarot Club.
Fors and Xio's arrival was completely within Audrey's expectations.
After all, they had spent last night's full moon together.
Although they had been discreet and hadn't recited the Fool's honorific name in her presence, Susie had seen everything.
After all, who would deliberately guard against a dog?
But the other newcomer—
The figure sitting at the far end of the bronze long table, cloaked in a hooded black robe, was entirely beyond her expectations.
"This is a new member."
Klein leaned back leisurely and introduced them one by one, "Mr. World, Miss Magician, Miss Judgment."
"Good afternoon, Mr. World. Good afternoon, Miss Magician."
The Tarot members had different expressions, but under Audrey's lead, they still greeted the three new members one by one.
"The Fool, Justice, The Lover, The Hanged Man, The World, The Sun…"
Fors carefully matched each codename to its respective person in her mind while nodding in response to their greetings.
But even someone as lazy as her couldn't help but start analyzing the current situation.
It was confirmed that the 'honorific name' Ashes had given was indeed effective in suppressing her curse.
At the same time, this Tarot Club was real.
That meant—
There was a high probability that Ashes was also present at this gathering!
Fors immediately cast a suspicious glance toward Ashes.
Judgment was Xio, World was a newcomer like herself, Justice was female.
The Hanged Man had blue hair and seemed somewhat gloomy.
The Sun should be a young boy, still quite immature.
That left only the Lover.
The more Fors looked at him, the more he resembled Ashes!
Especially since she had already mentally matched everyone else.
Xio had the same thought.
After all, they had spent so much time together recently.
Even if she couldn't see his face, she was extremely familiar with Ashes' physique!
"World" glanced around but didn't speak rashly. Instead, he quietly observed Ashes.
Klein was confident that his avatar was flawless, so he wasn't worried about anyone noticing anything unusual.
But Ashes was an exception—
After all, this was the man who had realized 'Klein' was the Fool's follower the first time they met!
If he spoke carelessly and was exposed, wouldn't that be awkward?
"Mr. Fool."
Audrey was the first to break the silence, her voice crisp as she said, "I have obtained five more pages of Roselle's diary."
"I have six pages this time."
Alger, who had been silent, immediately stood up and bowed respectfully.
"Diary?"
Fors and Xio exchanged glances, both slightly surprised.
Klein nodded without changing his expression.
Once the two materialized their diaries, the pages instantly vanished and appeared in his hands.
He swiftly skimmed through the useless journal entries—he had seen far too many of them already.
But then, his gaze froze on one particular page, his pupils contracting.
"January 1st, the beginning of a new year. I have just completed the creation of my first Blasphemy Card."
"…"
"I still vividly remember my shock upon first seeing the Blasphemy Slate."
"So, the Beyonder pathways are truly the paths of the gods. The Blasphemy Slate is really blaspheming against the deities."
"Above Sequence 1 in each pathway, there exists a Sequence 0, along with the corresponding potion formula and ritual!"
"Each pathway can only have one Sequence 0!"
"And Sequence 0 is the rank of a true god!"
"For example, Sequence 0—The Sun!"
These revelations were shocking enough to stir a storm in Klein's heart.
But he knew he couldn't linger on them too long.
That wouldn't fit the Fool's persona.
Suppressing his shock, he moved on to another diary page.
And once he read it, he couldn't look away.
"April 1st, I met a man—a very special man."
"He wore Solaire's armor, shouting 'Praise the Sun' as he charged into enemy ranks, cutting them down like they were nothing. Could this be Solaire himself?"
"My first thought was that someone was cosplaying, but then I remembered today was April 1st. Could this be a joke? But on second thought, something was off—"
"I transmigrated, dammit! How could there be such an authentic cosplay here? Yet everything around me suggests this man is deeply connected to Solaire. I suspect he's a transmigrator."
"Lu Xun once said, 'Boldly hypothesize, carefully verify.'"
"I didn't dare expose my own transmigrator identity, so I didn't approach him recklessly."
"Instead, I chose to get close to his sister. His sister, Elena, is truly a stunner, perfectly hitting all my XP triggers."
Klein's eyelid twitched.
Great Emperor, do you ever stop thinking about women?!
Also—
That quote was from Hu Shi, not Lu Xun! Apologize to Hu Shi, you bastard!
Despite his complaints, Klein's attention never wavered from the diary as he continued reading.
And what he saw next made him frown even more.
"Elena told me that she and her brother, Tyron, are believers of the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom."
"According to her, her brother's armor is standard for the Church of Knowledge's guardian knights."
"Unbelievable. A Church of Knowledge guardian knight shouting 'Praise the Sun'—aren't they stealing the Church of Eternal Blazing Sun's gig? I wonder what the Blazing Sun believers think of this."
"This suggests that Tyron might not be a transmigrator, but I strongly suspect that someone high up in the Church of Knowledge and Wisdom is."
"In fact, I seriously suspect that the God of Knowledge and Wisdom is a transmigrator!"
Klein's mind spun rapidly.
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom… a transmigrator?
It wasn't impossible.
But considering Ashes' existence, another possibility arose—
Perhaps the god was just playing along with the meme.
However, Ashes had already proven that he had actually been to the world of Dark Souls and had personally experienced the cycle of fire.
He even tried to burn himself.
And then there was the Goddess of the Night—
She had immediately recruited Ashes and even hinted that the first Lord of Cinder was the Black Emperor.
What was her true identity?
If she had also visited Dark Souls, could the same be said for the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?
If so, then Klein and Roselle seemed like anomalies.
"If everyone else transmigrated to Dark Souls first, why didn't we?"
Klein sighed.
Too little information. It was pointless to speculate blindly.
For now, he set aside these mysteries. There was already plenty of valuable information at hand.
Like Sequence 0.
Did the Emperor regret not choosing the pathways of Diviner, Apprentice, or Marauder because their Sequence 0s hadn't been born yet?
Highly possible.
Klein exhaled, adjusted his mindset, and turned to Audrey.
"Miss Justice, you've done well. You completed the mission to eliminate Bakerland in just three days."
"As per our agreement, what kind of reward do you desire?"
"May the goddess bless me. I hope Miss Justice's request isn't too troublesome," Klein thought silently.
"No, I should be the one owing you—no, owing your Blessed a reward."
Audrey turned her eyes slightly, pondered for a few seconds, and smiled faintly. "Hurricane Lieutenant General Qilangos had a bounty of 30,000 gold pounds. I should give your Blessed 15,000 pounds. Among them, the assassination of Bakerland cost 10,000 pounds, and I need to pay an additional 5,000 pounds."
"However, due to the matter with Bakerland, my financial situation isn't great at the moment. This payment will need to wait for a few months. Mr. Fool, is that acceptable?"
She could ask her father for money, but it would be hard to find a good reason.
After all, she couldn't just say, "I recently joined the Tarot Club, so I need money," right?
Her father would definitely think she had joined some cult.
"That's fine."
Klein nodded lightly without showing any emotion, but he was deeply moved inside.
Miss Justice is truly remarkable!
Just look at her awareness!
The "World" coughed lightly and seamlessly took over the conversation in a hoarse voice. "Mr. Fool told me that I could issue tasks and collect materials here, correct?"
"Yes."
Miss Audrey, who had just completed a commission for the Fool, nodded gracefully.
The "World" continued in a hoarse voice. "I want the real rhizome of a Mist Treant, at least 60 milliliters of its corresponding sap, as well as the marrow crystal of the Elven Spring and the full spinal fluid of a Shadow-Patterned Black Panther."
"Can any of you provide these or offer relevant clues?"
"What do you want in exchange?"
Derrick, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"I know where to find a Mist Treant and can help you obtain the materials. However, I must first complete my promotion, gain enough strength, and join the appropriate patrol squad."
"What do you want in return?"
Klein was delighted and had the "World" continue asking.
"The potion formula for Sequence 8, 'Light Supplicant.'"
Derrick answered without hesitation.
"I have the 'Light Supplicant' formula!"
Klein felt an indescribable joy, his lips curling upward.
Thankfully, he had held onto it instead of handing over the Sequence 8 potion formula to the Sun earlier.
Otherwise, the other party would now be asking for the Solar High Priest potion formula instead.
And—
Klein glanced at Ashes and twitched at the corner of his eye.
He even had to thank Ashes for not stealing his business.
And also thank the Sun, for not yet fully digesting the Bard formula.
Otherwise, this deal might not have been his to make.
"No problem."
The "World" responded in a hoarse voice immediately. "The main material for a Sequence 7 potion is worth about 500 to 700 pounds, while a Sequence 8 potion formula is only worth 450 pounds. Do you need any additional compensation?"
"No need."
The "Sun" thought for a moment and said seriously, "Just the potion formula is enough."
450 and 500—there wasn't much of a difference.
Derrick felt it wasn't a big deal to forgo the extra value, so he simply gave it away as a favor.
In that instant, all the members of the Tarot Club had the same thought.
"What an innocent and kindhearted kid!"
"That's not just one or two pounds—it's one or two hundred pounds!"
Fors couldn't help but glance at the Sun a few more times. Such a pure child was rare.
The "World" didn't want to take advantage of a good kid, so after writing down the "Light Supplicant" formula, he immediately handed it over.
Then, he said in his hoarse voice, "I'll also give you an extra 150 pounds. You can keep it for future transactions with others."
"I still owe Miss Justice 500 pounds."
The "Sun" Derrick suddenly recalled his debt and immediately said, "Can you give that directly to Miss Justice for me?"
"Sure."
The "World" nodded and continued in his hoarse voice. "What about the Shadow-Patterned Black Panther's spinal fluid? Does anyone have it?"
Although the "World" was asking, his peripheral vision swept toward Emlyn.
He knew Ashes had it.
Why?
Because the corpse of the Shadow-Patterned Black Panther was still lying in the gray fog!
While the body was there, its spinal fluid—a valuable extraordinary material—was missing.
It was obvious that the Hanged Man had extracted it early and handed it over to Ashes.
Ashes thought for a moment and spoke slowly. "I have the Shadow-Patterned Black Panther's spinal fluid—700 pounds."
Ashes gazed at the top of the World's head with some suspicion.
[World]???
This was the first time he'd encountered such a situation—why was there no name?
"Alright."
The "World" agreed without hesitation, then smoothly shifted the topic. "But I don't have that much money right now."
As he spoke, he looked toward Audrey and asked, "Miss Justice, can you transfer the remaining 5,000 pounds from Qilangos bounty to me first?"
"Huh?"
Audrey blinked and immediately realized he was referring to the 5,000 pounds she owed the Blessed of the Fool.
In other words—
Mr. World is actually the Blessed of the Fool?!
Audrey instinctively looked at the Fool, but Mr. Fool showed no reaction.
But the Fool's lack of response was essentially confirmation.
Audrey quickly understood and replied promptly, "I can, but I don't have that much money right now. Hmm~ Mr. World, can I pay you in installments—1,000 pounds per month over five months?"
"No problem."
The "World" nodded slightly, feeling extremely satisfied.
See?
Just by acknowledging himself as a Blessed, he could casually get 5,000 pounds!
Isn't that a beautiful thing?
As for whether admitting to being a Blessed would have any drawbacks, Klein didn't care anymore.
Why?
Because his identity had long since been exposed to Ashes!
Since Ashes knew Klein was the Fool's Blessed, it was impossible to hide the "World's" identity either.
After all, the "World" was just a persona prepared for "Klein."
Since that was the case, he might as well admit it openly—
One word: Chill!
Since he was already exposed, he might as well embrace it entirely.
At least this way, he could get 5,000 pounds from Miss Audrey.
If that's the case, why not?
Besides, this also meant he had enough money to purchase the Shadow-Patterned Black Panther's spinal fluid from Ashes.
Now, all he needed was the Mist Treant's rhizome from the Sun, and he could start preparing for his promotion to Magician!
As for the Medulla Crystal of the Elven Spring, he never expected to obtain it.
And even if he couldn't get it, it didn't matter—it was just a cover anyway.
As for the potion?
He had already fully digested it.
At the moment he realized he was like a clown.
"Mr. World is Mr. Fool's favored?"
Alger was shocked by this revelation. It seemed unbelievable, yet at the same time, it made sense.
For example—
All of them sat on either side of the long bronze table, except for World, who sat directly across from Mr. Fool.
This in itself showed that their relationship was unusual!
Originally, this Tarot Club was merely a gathering of outsiders like them, but now that Mr. Fool's favored had joined, did this signify a certain degree of acceptance?
Alger's spirit lifted, filled with the excitement and joy of ascending to the higher echelons of a church.
"Lovers."
Audrey asked in an expectant tone, "Have you found any leads on the extraordinary materials I commissioned?"
"I have the eyes and blood of a Mirror Dragon, and The Hanged Man has the fruit of the Elder Tree," Ashes nodded slightly and explained, "A total of 1,500 pounds. Is that acceptable?"
"No problem."
Audrey hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
She didn't have that much money right now.
On one hand, she had to pay Ashes a fixed 1,000 pounds every month; on the other, she had to give 1,000 pounds to Mr. Fool's favored.
Adding the 1,500 pounds for these extraordinary materials, that totaled 3,500 pounds.
But her monthly allowance was only 1,000 pounds—far from enough.
However, that wasn't an issue. She believed that Earl Hall wouldn't refuse to buy a few extraordinary materials for his daughter.
"World" scanned the room and rasped, "Besides that, I also want information on all the fallen nobles in the Loen Kingdom, including their current residences—the more detailed, the better."
As he spoke, he instinctively glanced at Audrey.
After all, among those present, only Miss Audrey could fulfill his request.
"…"
Miss Justice puffed out her cheeks at World's gaze.
Why could everyone so easily guess that she was a noble of the Loen Kingdom?
"Alright," Audrey sighed inwardly and asked, "But may I ask why you need this information, World?"
Mr. World was Mr. Fool's favored, and his actions were likely carried out with Mr. Fool's approval.
Thus, Audrey didn't phrase her question too directly—she only inquired indirectly.
World chuckled hoarsely. "You don't need to worry. I'm just looking for something; I won't harm them. I swear on Mr. Fool as my witness."
"I will need some time to gather and refine the information—about three to four days. Is that acceptable?" Audrey considered for a moment and replied in a more precise manner.
"No problem."
World chuckled deeply.
"This efficiency is insane!"
Sitting beside Audrey, Fors and Xio exchanged glances.
Even though they couldn't see each other's expressions, they could tell that both of them were numb with shock.
Everything about the Tarot Club exceeded their expectations—
For example, Mr. Fool was an actual, bona fide god!
A gathering of Beyonders hosted by a deity—this was something they had never even heard of!
No, this had to be the first of its kind in history, right?
Moreover—
The efficiency of the Tarot Club was astonishing!
In past Beyonder gatherings in Backlund, they had almost never obtained what they sought.
Xio had been searching for the formula for the "Sheriff" potion for three years. Fors had also been trying to collect the "Trickmaster" potion formula for over two years.
They had attended at least a hundred Beyonder gatherings, yet not once had they succeeded!
Neither they nor other wild Beyonders had ever obtained what they wanted at those gatherings.
But in the Tarot Club, just a few words of discussion could seal a deal.
And at this point, they had more or less figured out the roles of the members.
For instance, Miss Justice was a rich lady with an endless supply of gold pounds.
Mr. World, as Mr. Fool's favored, held a status above them all.
And he also seemed to possess a fair number of potion formulas.
Meanwhile, Sun, Lovers, and The Hanged Man were suppliers of extraordinary materials.
Each of them had an amount of materials that would be unimaginable to the average person.
And that was precisely why the Tarot Club was so efficient.
After all, when there was no shortage of money, extraordinary materials, or potion formulas, how could transactions not proceed smoothly?
"Hanged Man."
After finishing the conversation with World about compensation, Justice turned to look at The Hanged Man—Alger—and asked, "When will you return from the sea?"
"About two weeks," Alger considered for a moment before replying. "We are about to arrive in Bayam, where we will stay for a short time—probably no more than three days. After that, we can head directly to Pritz Harbor, which will take no more than ten days."
"So, barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be back in Backlund within two weeks."
"You?"
Fors keenly picked up on that word. Considering how well Lovers knew about the extraordinary materials in The Hanged Man's possession, it was clear that "you" referred to both of them.
And given that Bayam was the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago in the Sonia Sea, it was easy to deduce—
Lovers was currently in the Sonia Sea!
And if he was really Ashes, then was he actually on a business trip?
But why on earth would he go to the Sonia Sea?
"Magician, Judgment."
Justice asked warmly, "Do you two need anything?"
"Not for now," Fors replied awkwardly, trying to brush it off.
She did want to trade for something at the Tarot Club.
But she was broke!
Even with the 1,000-pound payment from Miss Audrey, splitting it with Xio meant she only had 500 pounds.
Adding her meager savings, she had just enough to buy the "Astrologer" potion formula from Ashes.
As for Xio?
She was even poorer!
Xio happened to glance up and meet Fors's gaze.
Both of them suddenly felt a little awkward.
Why did they feel so out of place in the Tarot Club?
It was like two broke people had accidentally wandered into a gathering of wealthy tycoons—while the rich effortlessly made high-stakes transactions, all they could do was watch.
"Step it up, Magician and Judgment."
Klein looked at the two ladies and sighed inwardly.
To be honest, he had paid a price to bring them in.
Bringing people above the gray fog had strict limitations.
For example, before becoming a Beyonder, he could only bring two people: Justice and The Hanged Man.
After becoming a Seer, he could bring one more—Ashes.
When he finished digesting the Seer potion, he could bring Sun.
And if the pattern continued, it would be the same for subsequent sequences—
He could bring one more person as a Clown, and another after digesting the potion.
And right now, Magician and Judgment occupied those two slots.
Meaning, until he advanced to Sequence 7, Magician, he couldn't bring anyone else above the gray fog.
And considering this pattern, Klein had a hypothesis—
Before becoming a Beyonder, he could bring two people. From Sequence 9 to Sequence 1, each level allowed two more.
That totaled 20 people.
And if Sequence 0 was included, that made 22.
Coincidentally, there were 22 Major Arcana cards in Tarot.
And there were 22 chairs above the gray fog—10 on each side, with one at each end.
Expanding the thought further, there were exactly 22 Beyonder pathways in this world.
There had to be a deeper connection between these "22s."
Klein was sure of it.
Too many coincidences were never just coincidences.
Unfortunately, he still didn't know what the connection was.
But it didn't matter.
He would figure it out sooner or later.
"Mr. World."
After hesitating for a long time, Xio finally asked, "Can I take the commission to gather intelligence on fallen nobles?"
"Of course."
Klein's eyes flickered slightly, but he nodded without revealing any emotion. "As long as it's not redundant, I will offer the appropriate payment."
For him, having one more person collecting intelligence was not a bad thing.
As for whether this would cause conflict between Miss Justice and Miss Judgment—
Klein didn't think it would.
After all, they were on different levels and had different intelligence-gathering channels.
There was no reason for them to clash over something so trivial.
What's more—
They might even know each other in real life.
Thinking of this, Klein's expression suddenly became a little strange.
…
As soon as the Tarot gathering ended, the members who had made deals immediately began their exchanges—
By offering sacrifices to The Fool, they transferred their trade items to each other.
And since Ashes and Alger were on the same ship, there was no need for a double transfer.
Thus, Alger directly performed the sacrifice on behalf of both, offering all the items to The Fool.
Klein remained above the gray fog, never leaving.
After receiving Miss Justice's offering of 2,500 pounds, he distributed 2,200 pounds to Alger.
At the same time, he bestowed Miss Justice with the Mirror Dragon's eye and blood, as well as the Elder Tree's fruit.
In the end, he had only one extraordinary material left—
The spinal fluid of a Cursed Black Panther.
It was a vial of seemingly transparent liquid, but upon closer inspection, its clarity was layered—the lower it went, the more transparent it became, divided into perfect sections, fully satisfying any obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
"Only the real roots and sap of the Mist Treant are missing."
Klein sighed in relief, but a new thought surfaced in his mind.
It seemed that Sequence 7 of different pathways had one thing in common—
Besides the two main materials, they also required the blood of one of the extraordinary creatures providing those main materials.
For example, he needed the Mist Treant's sap, while Miss Justice needed the Mirror Dragon's blood.
Was there a deeper reason behind this?
…
"Ashes is The Lovers?"
In a house at 117 Birmingham Road, Hillsdon District, the newly awakened Fors and Xio almost spoke in unison.
"It should be him," Fors said with certainty. "Both his way of speaking and his build match perfectly. I don't see any other possibility."
"But why did he suddenly go to the Sonia Sea?"
Xio frowned, puzzled.
"How would I know?"
Fors rolled her eyes. "We'll have to wait until next time to ask him in person."
"What about your situation?"
Xio hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. "Are you going to tell him?"
Yesterday had been a full moon night.
To encourage Fors, she had recited The Fool's true name with her.
That was how they had both been pulled above the gray fog.
With The Fool's protection, the whispers of the full moon no longer troubled Fors.
But somehow, she seemed to have caught the attention of that curse named "Will Auceptin" instead.
"Forget it," Fors shook her head and whispered. "I'll tell him when he comes back."
…
"We should reach Bayam before evening."
Alger stepped out of the captain's cabin and spoke to Ashes, who was standing by the deck railing, admiring the view. "If everything goes smoothly, we might not even need three days—maybe we'll be done by tomorrow."
"Also—"
Alger paused, then handed Ashes a bundle of banknotes amounting to 1,500 gold pounds. "This is your share."
"Is your craftsman friend reliable?"
Ashes accepted the money and suddenly asked.
"There shouldn't be a problem."
Alger had intended to say "he's trustworthy," but after a moment's hesitation, he chose to be more cautious. "I've worked with him for a while, and his character seems reliable. Besides, even if he wanted to report us, he might not have the means to do so."
"I see."
Ashes murmured softly, "Let's hope your friend is trustworthy."
Alger's mouth twitched slightly.
But inwardly, he became more vigilant.
He hadn't considered this possibility before.
But if the "craftsman" really turned out to be unreliable, they would have to find a way to silence him.
Even if Ashes refrained out of consideration for Alger, Alger himself wouldn't let it slide.
After all, leaking customer information was a major taboo.
No matter how well they knew each other, rules were rules.
(End of chapter)
[email protected]/Lives954
currently on chapter 107