Zhou Mingrui began to move from his seat after sending them back.
The gray fog churned, and the tentacles beneath the table retracted toward him.
With a fleeting thought and the remnants of his human memories, Zhou Mingrui changed his appearance.
He transformed from the grim, black-robed figure into that of a civilized man wearing a plaid shirt, long black pants, leather shoes, and even his usual accessory: glasses.
It was his last appearance in the modern world.
After completing his transformation, Zhou Mingrui walked toward the core space of Sefirah Castle, where the deep blue door marked with symbols of convoluted lines and spirit worms was located.
He passed through a staircase of light hidden behind the gray fog, arriving in the chamber that housed the cluster of cocoons and the door to the core space.
His black eyes gazed at the hanging cocoons, but he did nothing about them. He then entered the core space and browsed its contents, which consisted of different chambers.
His steps paused at one of the chambers. The door opened on its own, revealing its contents.
It was the room that stored the items he had created for his followers, the items that connected to the crimson stars. It was his way of monitoring them and ensuring their safety.
If anything went wrong with him, he would have severed the connection with all the crimson stars, without exception.
But now, he needed to resume creating these items and save more humans. It would grant him great responsibility, and in turn, help him defend his consciousness from the corruption of his divinity.
Zhou Mingrui realized he hadn't told Justice and The Hanged Man his honorary name.
No, he hadn't forgotten; rather, he felt he needed to give them time to not be afraid of him. Also, the moment he released his honorary name, that information would exist in the spirit world, and he wasn't ready to receive attention from other evil gods.
However, it must be inconvenient for Justice and The Hanged Man to be continuously pulled into the gray fog world without being able to resist. They had no choice, and if they encountered something on the day of the gathering, it would be troublesome.
So, Zhou Mingrui entered the research room and created two artifacts they could use to ask for leave without needing to chant his honorary name.
The following Monday afternoon, two beams of light streamed toward the respective seats of Justice and The Hanged Man.
The two permanent members of the Tarot Club immediately stood to greet him, but they didn't see the robed figure in the main seat. Instead, there was the figure of a man with a casual and relaxed appearance.
Both of them froze, not expecting The Fool to change his image so suddenly. Of course, it had to be a disguise, as they couldn't see his true appearance, only the vague shape of his form.
Audrey felt more comfortable with The Fool's new look. It made The Fool seem more approachable, unlike the frightening, black-robed figure.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool," she greeted with a cheerful tone, smiling.
The Fool replied, "Good afternoon, Miss Spectator."
Audrey was stunned for a moment before finally smiling proudly at The Fool's response.
Alger, on the other hand, remarked, "That was faster than I expected."
Alger became convinced that The Fool must have known his Sequence for a long time but hadn't said anything. The Fool seemed to be specifically congratulating the noble girl because she had just stepped onto the path of a Beyonder.
It was a word of congratulations and also a blessing from The Fool.
After the initial greetings, they sat down. Then Audrey informed him, "Mr. Fool, I have obtained one page of Emperor Roselle's diary. May I represent it now?"
Alger also chimed in, "Mr. Fool, I have collected two pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."
The man in the main seat looked at them for a moment before replying, "Yes, do it now."
Then, yellowish parchments and fountain pens appeared in both Audrey's and Alger's hands.
Just as they had been taught, they channeled their emotions to imprint the memories of the symbols they had memorized.
It didn't take long; all their memorizations were poured onto the three parchment pages. As soon as they finished, the three pages flew into The Fool's hand. It was clear that The Fool was reading them as if reading a newspaper.
Alger and Audrey didn't dare to interrupt and waited for him to finish reading.
The Fool briefly read each page; apparently, a few things piqued his interest. After a few minutes, the three parchments disappeared. Then, The Fool broke the silence, "You may continue."
Audrey and Alger were startled for a moment before resuming their discussion about world developments and news they could share.
When there was nothing left to talk about, Zhou Mingrui finally took charge of the conversation.
He materialized two charms engraved with his emblem from the void, then said, "I have something for you. You can use these items to ask for leave when you are unable to attend this gathering."
Then, the two items flew to their respective recipients. Justice and The Hanged Man stared in confusion at the circular charms in front of them.
"Channel your spirituality into it and state your request. That's all. The charm can be used several times," Zhou Mingrui explained, considering that once the charms' function was depleted, he could tell them his honorary name.
By that time, Zhou Mingrui was confident he would be ready to receive the attention of the evil gods and integrate with the material world.
The Hanged Man observed the symbol carved on the charm: an eye without a pupil and convoluted lines. He frowned, as if trying to dig through his memories for that symbol.
Meanwhile, Justice reached for the charm and asked, "Mr. Fool, will this charm appear directly in our hands once we return to the real world?"
A good question. Zhou Mingrui nodded, glad that someone had finally asked.
"Correct. As soon as you return, the charm will be in your hand." He didn't need to explain why, as it wasn't something they could know right now.
Zhou Mingrui was using the spirit world as a transfer medium. After all, in the past, he could draw and retrieve items from Sefirah Castle at any time without a sacrificial ritual. He could use a similar concept to have them receive the charm without performing a ritual.
Their connection to the crimson stars was also a consideration.
However, this could, of course, only happen one-way, from him to them, not the other way around. If they wanted to give him something, they would still have to perform a sacrificial ritual.
The Hanged Man trembled, starting to overthink as usual. Zhou Mingrui wondered if the man would die from thinking too much.
Meanwhile, Justice was too simple-minded to recognize the potential danger.
Since there was nothing else, Zhou Mingrui promptly ended the gathering.
The two people immediately returned to the real world, each with their charm.
....
Silence was restored in the ancient palace shrouded in gray fog.
With his condition steadily improving, Zhou Mingrui planned to check on something briefly before sleeping again.
He moved toward another part of the palace, toward the boundless gray fog. Then, he instantly disappeared and reappeared far into the historical projections stored within the fog.
A scene of the ruins of modern civilization revealed itself. The scenery seemed frozen in time, with only Zhou Mingrui standing on one of the remaining buildings.
He gazed into the distance with his empty stare, then sat down on the edge of a guardrail.
For a long time, he watched the scene, slowly pulling back his memories of modern life.
In the Hall family's mansion, Audrey stared in amazement at the appearance of the charm given to her by The Fool.
She saw the connection to the crimson star emerge from her right hand, then form a sort of link that finally materialized the charm in her hand in its real form.
As Audrey felt it directly in the real world, she inexplicably felt a chill run down her spine, as if the charm gave off an indescribable and very dangerous sensation.
However, she trusted Mr. Fool, so she would store her charm carefully and use it when needed.
....
On the other side, Alger witnessed the charm's appearance from the crimson star connection originating from himself. He finally confirmed that the reason he was summoned by The Fool to the gray fog world was because of the mysterious artifact he had found.
Somehow, Alger felt quite conflicted. He was afraid of the mysterious entity, The Fool, but on the other hand, he was excited to know what kind of changes were about to happen to this world.
After placing the frightening charm in a safe box, Alger let out a long, heavy sigh, muttering, "A new era has begun."
Notes:Before the next Tarot Club gathering, Zhou Mingrui woke up once more, and for some reason, he felt a flicker of emotion, a sense of annoyance.
This was a rare occurrence, for usually, he felt nothing at all, viewing everything with an empty gaze.
Perhaps because his humanity was growing stronger, his emotions were sprouting anew.
This time, he had been awakened by the issue of the Antigonus notebook again.
It seemed to be a continuation of the previous tragedy he had managed to stop. Perhaps it was his responsibility for altering fate, so his spirituality roused him to deal with the consequences.
Zhou Mingrui watched Ray Bieber's actions through the prayer call. It appeared the Antigonus notebook was directing the prayer to the supreme ruler of the pathway Antigonus belonged to.
Had Zhou Mingrui still been in hibernation, the prayer would likely have referred to Antigonus, currently sealed in the Nation of Evernight.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, Zhou Mingrui was the target of that prayer.
It was a prayer pleading for the bestowal of power, much like the kind of boons evil gods granted their followers without the need to consume Beyonder potions.
Judging by the way Ray Bieber was acting, he had lost his mind and had already half-leaped onto the path of losing control.
Zhou Mingrui tapped the table with his fingertips, considering whether he needed to do something or just let it be. After all, he had interfered too much already, so doing so once more would clearly burden him now.
After some thought and verifying once more that Ray Bieber's consciousness was beyond saving, Zhou Mingrui decided to just watch.
He didn't need to bestow anything, as the Antigonus notebook was already playing its role.
The scene on the prayer screen zoomed in, revealing several other Beyonders arriving. They appeared to be Evernight Nighthawks.
Zhou Mingrui's lips quirked up, and he was now more interested in watching.
It turned out that one of the humans he had saved, the poor young man who had nearly shot himself, was actually a member of the Nighthawks.
Despite the influence of Azulhod's narrative, that young man had actually forced the annoying quill to revise its narrative.
Zhou Mingrui was impressed and felt he had made the right choice in saving him.
The young man's name seemed to be Klein Moretti.
Zhou Mingrui would remember him and keep an eye on him in the future.
At Ray Bieber's crime scene, the Nighthawk team coordinated well and engaged in a fierce battle with members of the Secret Order.
It turned out there were more variables in Azulhod's narrative than he had thought. Zhou Mingrui wondered if Azulhod's current owner was so excited that they forgot logic?
Maybe he could add a little chaos...
Zhou Mingrui thought of his fleeting feeling of annoyance earlier, and it seemed he needed to elicit a reaction to maintain his human side.
....
The Antigonus puppet in the box fell stiffly silent after struggling to get out for a long time. The puppet seemed to sense something terrifying and didn't dare make a scene anymore.
Its silence made the Nighthawk team even more wary. Fortunately, the Secret Order members' ploy didn't succeed, and they suddenly fled as if they had abruptly received a premonition of immense danger.
The monster Ray Bieber also strangely stood frozen like a statue, facing the sky while trembling, as if being gazed upon by his god.
It was an opportunity to attack him, regardless of how strange the event was. The Nighthawk team didn't miss the chance to bombard the monster Ray Bieber and finally killed him.
The monster didn't flinch at all, as if intentionally surrendering his life to offer himself to his god.
....
In Sefirah Castle, Zhou Mingrui smiled faintly and accepted the sacrifice.
He shook his head slowly, sensing his mad side, the one craving sacrifice, surfacing again.
Ray Bieber's sacrifice gave him faith, and that made his humanity dim further.
"I did something I shouldn't have," he muttered bitterly as he severed the connection completely.
Zhou Mingrui felt he wouldn't be able to host the two Tarot Club members at the next gathering, so he sent them a notice via their dreams. When his condition improved, he would inform them in a similar manner.
After that, he fell asleep in his chair, his form flickering between the robed figure with tentacles and the form of an ordinary human.
Thanks to the intervention of an unknown existence, the Nighthawk team became much more cautious.
Dunn Smith didn't inspect the Antigonus notebook and instead covered it with a cloth. He made no direct contact and didn't read its contents.
From what happened to the monster Ray Bieber and the Secret Order members who fled in a panic, he suspected it was caused by this Antigonus notebook.
This must be a high-grade Sealed Artifact that shouldn't be pried into. It was better to cover it immediately without glancing at the contents.
Dunn Smith made the right choice and avoided the corruption narrated by Azulhod.
...
That annoying quill paused its narration for a moment, sensing a terrifying intervention.
...
Back at the crime scene, the other Nighthawk members cleaned up the scene and the remains of the monster Ray Bieber.
The new Nighthawk member, Klein Moretti, who was tasked with finding traces of the Antigonus notebook, was now panting in a corner, looking pale.
He had somehow chosen the Seer pathway, so he felt a fleeting gaze that made his soul tremble violently.
He had promised Benson and Melissa he would take care of himself after that night. His commotion had made his two siblings realize something was wrong.
Then, the church recruited him and told him about Beyonders. As a history graduate, he was shocked that such supernatural powers actually existed.
After the investigation and the permanent memory loss involved, only he could lead the Nighthawks to find the Antigonus notebook. Meanwhile, Welch and Naya had no impression of the book, as if they had never touched it.
Klein Moretti was lucky that he liked writing diaries, so he knew that he and his two friends had translated that cursed notebook.
So, this was the result after a long tracking process. They had finally managed to find it.
However, on the other hand, Klein Moretti felt that this was just the beginning of his journey.
....
Leonard Mitchell finished sweeping the crime scene and returned to the Nighthawk headquarters. In the empty break room, Leonard finally had the chance to whisper, "Old Man, what happened?"
During the battle with the monster Ray Bieber and the Secret Order members, something unknown suddenly appeared and scared everyone. In fact, Leonard heard the Old Man's shocked shriek in his mind.
After that, he heard nothing from the Old Man, as if the Old Man was hiding very deep from a certain terrifying existence.
There was no reply.
Leonard sighed, his eyes sharpening. His mind began to race to find clues about the mysterious existence that influenced Ray Bieber and the Secret Order members, and even the Old Man.
He might find the answer soon.
In a place where there was no sunlight, only lightning flashes and absolute darkness, a tall young man walked unsteadily while holding a greatsword.
His eyes were filled with determination and the belief that he could save the people he cared about.
The young man had stepped out of formation to find the old ruins his parents had told him about. The ruins looked like a temple used to worship a certain god.
If that god still existed, then the young man would beg him to save his parents.
He arrived at the silent temple surrounded by gray fog. Though overcome with immense fear, the young man continued his steps into the temple.
There, he found a ball glowing with reddish light. On the temple floor, there were carvings of mysterious symbols the young man couldn't describe.
His eyes lit up, and he fell to his knees toward the ball of light, then offered his prayer as sincerely as possible.
In Sefirah Castle, one of the crimson stars shone brightly, but the owner of the place could not accept the call for the time being.
The gray fog thickened and hid the crimson star so as not to disturb the sleeping figure.
***
Notes:The unanswered crimson star continued to radiate brilliant light within the veil of gray fog.
After an unknown amount of time, the figure in the high-backed chair finally stopped shifting, his appearance settling into that of a young man wearing a plaid shirt and glasses.
Zhou Mingrui's pitch-black eyes opened slowly as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
For the time being, he would not interfere in human affairs and would only observe them. The consequence of altering the fate of human death turned out to have a massive impact. He had nearly lost to the madness brought about by his divinity.
It was like how Zhou Mingrui had managed to survive all this time: by standing on a thin sheet of fabric that could tear at any moment. That fabric was his humanity.
His hand tapped the edge of the table, following his remaining habit. He was clearly aware of the new crimson star praying to him, but he intentionally ignored it for now.
His condition wasn't stable enough to receive a new guest here.
He needed to think of a way to gain the world's acknowledgment, just like when he received feedback before.
Zhou Mingrui recalled the moment Miss Justice gave him praise for his advice on the kingdom's development. That was a moment when his human side strengthened.
How could he get similar feedback?
Did he need to help the kingdom where Miss Justice lived develop like the modern world?
That wasn't impossible, but the problem was that Zhou Mingrui wasn't interested in revealing himself to the outside world. It would be too troublesome if he were discovered by the gods who called themselves orthodox.
The kingdom's development was clearly within the scope of supervision of those orthodox gods. So, even if Zhou Mingrui wanted to do something, he would have to reveal his hand to them.
Zhou Mingrui shook his head slowly, without a ripple of emotion. He wouldn't take that step.
His tapping stopped as he considered whether continuing the next Tarot Club gathering would be beneficial to him or not.
Interacting with those two interesting humans was indeed refreshing, but he would get involved in their problems.
At that moment, a thought crossed his mind about the history of the modern world that had been lost. He could only see its ruins in projections, and there were no "real humans" there.
Everything was empty.
His black eyes gazed into the distance, toward the endless gray fog and into the depths of the spirit world.
As the ruler of the spirit world, Zhou Mingrui could sense various creatures within it that were connected to Sefirah Castle. Special creatures calling themselves the Seven Lights of the Spirit World, receptacles of infinite knowledge.
He had interacted with them before, in the era before he severed his connection with the real world.
They could be considered his followers, but at the same time, they wouldn't be affected by him.
They were born in the spirit world as the embodiment of knowledge. Thus, as long as Sefirah Castle and the spirit world existed, the Seven Lights could not be destroyed.
That was why even the Outer Gods weren't interested in disturbing the Seven Lights; they couldn't be killed unless the Original Creator rose again, united the entire universe, and restarted everything.
Zhou Mingrui had mainly received their help regarding the creation of Artifacts connected to Sefirah Castle. Yes, precisely the artifacts with the Lord of the Mysteries symbol that corresponded to the crimson stars here.
It seemed he could do something without being noticed by the orthodox gods and the Outer Gods.
With a fleeting thought reaching the spirit world, he summoned them.
A cluster of colorful lights rose from the depths of the spirit world, expanding until they manifested into seven tangible figures before the ruler of the spirit world.
The Seven Lights each wore robes of a corresponding color. Most of them looked like old men, while the rest maintained a youthful appearance.
Their shock couldn't be hidden, as they hadn't expected to be suddenly summoned by the ruler of the spirit world.
Zhou Mingrui said flatly, "Sit down."
He gestured to the chairs used by the Tarot Club to welcome them. After all, it made no difference to him who sat there.
The Seven Lights dared not defy him and immediately found their respective seats.
They now looked as if they were attending a corporate board meeting. Unfortunately, this was a company where the CEO was an evil god.
Zhou Mingrui silently commented in his heart. Somehow, he felt a little amused by his own thoughts. It felt like he became more human the more he thought like a human.
He remembered that in the modern world, he loved making comments on the internet about various things, so he applied that now to recall his human side further.
"My Lord, what do you wish for us to do?" Red Light Aiur Moria began. He was the bravest among the Seven Lights, and also the one entrusted with keeping information related to the ruler of the spirit world.
Clearly, Zhou Mingrui had ordered the Seven Lights to conceal any information about him. Both his old honorary name and the remnants of the lost era.
Aside from two exceptions, Evernight and...
Zhou Mingrui didn't want to think about that person. In short, aside from the two of them, no other god knew his condition. Even the Outer Gods didn't know because they couldn't see through the barrier.
Zhou Mingrui observed each of the Seven Lights. They looked worried, but also expectant of his orders.
Smiling faintly, Zhou Mingrui asked, "Do you still occasionally infiltrate the human world?"
His gaze shifted to Orange Light Hilarion, an elder who was an expert in science and technology.
The orange-robed elder immediately stood and bowed to greet him, "My Lord, I occasionally go to the human world to spread beneficial knowledge."
Zhou Mingrui nodded, then looked at Purple Light Saint Germain.
"My Lord, I have kept the knowledge of forbidden ritualistic magic unobtainable from the spirit world." Saint Germain immediately reported what was his responsibility.
According to Saint Germain, unless bestowed directly by the god they worshipped or an evil god, Beyonders could not obtain dangerous ritual magic knowledge from the spirit world. It also limited the Hidden Sage's ravings, and divination was also restricted.
However, this condition wouldn't last long because soon the protective barrier of this world would vanish. Clearly, the Outer Gods preparing outside would contaminate information from the spirit world and cause total destruction.
Initially, Zhou Mingrui didn't care whether the apocalypse happened or not; he wouldn't be affected.
But now, it was different. He had finally awakened his precious humanity, and that made him want to prevent the apocalypse from happening, or at least help humanity face it.
By doing so, Zhou Mingrui would be able to see the modern era he longed for come to fruition. Even if only as an observer, he could enjoy watching that era arrive.
Clasping his hands under his chin, Zhou Mingrui spoke in a deep voice, "I want to make arrangements for a new era."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Seven Lights gasped in shock because it meant the ruler of the spirit world had decided to intervene directly rather than just remain an observer.
Before they could respond, Zhou Mingrui continued, "You will do as I command. Do it secretly and influence the human world slowly."
Zhou Mingrui suddenly chuckled. "This won't escape their surveillance, but what can they do? If they want to stop me, they'll have to face the apocalypse themselves."
He had fused with the Celestial Worthy. However, he intentionally hadn't erased the traces of the Celestial Worthy, who had eventually fallen asleep.
So, if he were eliminated and they looked for a new "The Fool" candidate, they would have to face the Celestial Worthy himself, who certainly wouldn't be as lenient as he had been with Zhou Mingrui.
He always knew their pragmatic goals. He was merely a tool to carve out the future of humanity or, as prophesied, bring hope.
But why did he have to do that?
Zhou Mingrui had lost everything, himself, his world, and everything that made him feel human, so why should he save humans who had nothing to do with him?
That sentiment was also influenced by the Celestial Worthy, his divine side. Meanwhile, the remnants of him as a human were Zhou Mingrui's memories of the modern world.
Now, he wanted to know if his remnants could win against his divinity and if he could witness a human world free from darkness and destruction.
This was his first arrangement through the Seven Lights of the Spirit World.
.....
After the Seven Lights left to carry out the tasks he ordered, Zhou Mingrui leaned back indolently in his chair, looking lost in reverie.
He lost focus again, and his consciousness seemed to scatter to various places.
He saw the human world, people praying, Beyonders fighting, and the tragic realities befalling unfortunate humans.
When his consciousness returned, Zhou Mingrui covered his face and fell back asleep.
He planned to respond to that crimson star when he woke up later. His condition would be more stable then.
Notes:Mr. Fool had canceled the Tarot Club gathering twice; had something happened?
For some reason, Audrey felt very worried, even though she had only participated in the Tarot Club gathering three times. However, from that experience, she realized that The Fool, who was mysterious and unreachable, was not an evil entity.
The Fool could have killed both of them at any time, but instead allowed them to sit and chat calmly, and even acted as a witness to their trade.
Audrey had already prepared the pages of Roselle's diary she could collect while waiting for announcement of the next gathering. She hoped The Fool would still be willing to host the gathering.
If not for Mr. Fool, I might never have become a Beyonder and known the world of mysticism further...
Audrey didn't regret becoming a Beyonder; on the contrary, she wanted to step forward and advance to the next Sequence. That way, she would witness the true world of mysticism and see the world from a perspective different from ordinary people.
She also wanted Beyonder powers to protect the people she cared about. Although her behavior could be called quite naive, that was her biggest motivation.
In the middle of the Sonia Sea, the Blue Avenger sailed through massive waves. The captain of the Blue Avenger, Alger Wilson, had traversed the ocean to pursue the Listener of the Aurora Order.
After his progress thanks to Justice's help, Alger finally took on an investigative mission regarding the rumored holy residence of the True Creator.
In the middle of his mission, he was also looking forward to the Tarot Club gathering. Unfortunately, the gathering had been canceled twice, which made him anxious and confused.
The figure behind the thick fog, The Fool, who was clearly a god-like entity, couldn't possibly cancel the gathering without a strong reason.
Even if, for that figure, humans like them were not worth noticing, from the way The Fool responded, Alger felt The Fool would continue to pay attention to them and still host the gathering.
Mr. Fool seemed entertained by our presence, so if the next gathering is also canceled, will the Tarot Club cease to exist? Then, what will happen later?
Alger still remembered the reddish light that seeped into his hand. He felt the light connected him to The Fool, so he wouldn't be able to fully escape The Fool even if there were no more gatherings.
Although he was very afraid of The Fool, he preferred knowing what was happening rather than being abandoned without any explanation.
Alger glanced at the clock, which almost showed three in the afternoon. It was now Monday, and there was still no announcement about the impending gathering.
Whether it was canceled or indeed gone for good, Alger waited in his office anxiously.
In the world of gray fog, the figure in the high-backed chair woke up in a more stable condition.
Zhou Mingrui was awakened by his spirituality reminding him about the Tarot Club gathering. He had already canceled it twice, so if he canceled it this time too, he might not need to host it anymore.
However, hearing Justice and The Hanged Man chat was quite entertaining for him.
They could also be part of his plan to realize the "new era."
Finally, after long consideration, Zhou Mingrui tapped the two crimson stars connected to him. He sent an announcement about the Tarot Club gathering that was about to begin.
On the other hand, another crimson star was still being ignored. That was because his spiritual intuition warned him that he might get involved in something troublesome if he looked at that crimson star now.
He might have to save a human life that was supposed to die, and that would heavily burden his human side.
.....
At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon Backlund time, two red lights shot out from the crimson stars connecting Justice and The Hanged Man.
Blurry figures of both soon appeared in their respective seats.
Zhou Mingrui observed the rich colors of their emotions. Justice Audrey looked joyful, while The Hanged Man Alger looked wary but also relieved.
The two humans seemed happy that this gathering was still being held. Zhou Mingrui tilted his head and propped it up with his hand.
Justice stood first to greet him, "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool. I am glad this gathering is still being held."
The Hanged Man Alger also chimed in, "Mr. Fool, if there is anything we can do for you, we will strive to fulfill it."
The Hanged Man's words surprised Justice Audrey. In fact, Zhou Mingrui raised an eyebrow.
The usually paranoid Hanged Man was now saying words that tested him. Was it intentional, or did The Hanged Man truly hope for this gathering to continue by showing his value?
This was getting more interesting...
Zhou Mingrui smiled and replied in a soothing tone, "The gathering will continue to be held unless something inconvenient happens."
Justice Audrey and The Hanged Man Alger released their tension. They sat back down, and Justice was the first to start.
"Mr. Fool, I have collected two pages of Emperor Roselle's diary; I can show it right now."
The Hanged Man hurriedly added, "I have also collected two pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."
Zhou Mingrui nodded, then pointed to the paper and pen that appeared in front of Justice and The Hanged Man.
Like the previous example, the diary contents were printed directly onto several sheets of paper. Zhou Mingrui pulled them over and glanced at them for a few seconds.
Nothing special was written there, just some ramblings and information about a figure trapped in storms and darkness.
Zhou Mingrui knew who was trapped because he had witnessed the era of the War of the Four Emperors. He just hadn't interfered because he was still in a struggle with the Celestial Worthy.
Bethel Abraham. The owner of the Door pathway's uniqueness whom he had intentionally released.
Zhou Mingrui released two uniquenesses, Error and Door, to preserve his remaining humanity. With several agreements with the Ancient Sun God, Zhou Mingrui obtained "envisioned" uniquenesses so that he would qualify to fight the Celestial Worthy.
Everything was as the Ancient Sun God expected. A very logical development.
What about Antigonus? The uniqueness possessed by Antigonus was "envisioned" and not the real uniqueness.
That development was so Amanises could control the Nation of Evernight and seize the moon authority. Meanwhile, Antigonus was sealed and made a prisoner.
In all that happened, Zhou Mingrui was like a puppet in an opera. Controlled by the Ancient Sun God to become what was expected.
During that time, Zhou Mingrui couldn't do anything even if he wanted to because he was in a half-mad state after the fusion stage with the Celestial Worthy. His anchors were gone, and he chose to close access to Sefirah Castle and sleep to recover.
They might be waiting for him to show himself again to fulfill their plans, or they were looking for a new, better candidate.
It wasn't that he didn't understand why they did that, but he didn't want to be a puppet being controlled.
The two "envisioned" uniquenesses would soon reach their limit, so Zhou Mingrui needed to take the real uniquenesses to maintain the balance between his divinity and his remaining human side. If the balance wavered, then he would be no different from an evil god like the True Creator, who desired blood sacrifices to fill the lost divinity.
Zhou Mingrui pulled back his wandering thoughts; he had lost focus again until the two Tarot Club members showed their unease.
Justice and The Hanged Man didn't dare interrupt him, but the colors of their emotions couldn't lie. They were filled with worry and fear because the atmosphere in the gray fog felt heavy, as if something terribly frightening was about to lose control.
Zhou Mingrui smiled and made the sheets of paper disappear, then said in a relaxed tone, "You may continue to the transaction segment."
From the previous two gatherings, Zhou Mingrui observed that they seemed to divide the meeting into two segments: transaction and information exchange.
Justice Audrey and The Hanged Man felt relieved by his response, then they continued the information transaction regarding secret organizations.
Zhou Mingrui didn't add anything and only listened to their chat attentively. This could be practice for him to maintain his scattered focus.
When they talked about the Hidden Sage, the personification of an evil god come to life, they secretly glanced at him for an answer.
Unfortunately, Zhou Mingrui felt that knowledge about the Hidden Sage wasn't needed by them right now. It would only add to the trouble and endanger these Tarot Club members he was nurturing.
They would be part of the "new era" plan, so Zhou Mingrui would help them in limited situations and wouldn't answer every dangerous question.
After getting no response from him, they continued with other information exchanges, such as about the acting method, and showed their confusion regarding how long digestion took if using the acting method.
Although those things were trivial enough for Zhou Mingrui to pay attention to now, he felt comfortable hearing their emotion-filled conversation. That was humanity, worrying about many things and trying to avoid risks.
Justice Audrey seemed to have gathered the courage to ask him, "Mr. Fool, if using the acting method, how long does potion digestion take?"
The Hanged Man also turned and prepared to hear the answer.
Zhou Mingrui didn't change his sitting posture, leaning with his head propped on his left hand. He wasn't surprised by Miss Justice's action because he had expected it.
The figure of a naive noble girl must be filled with curiosity and possess great courage due to her heart.
It was precisely extreme caution like The Hanged Man's that, while avoiding danger, also missed great opportunities.
"Under normal conditions, low-Sequence Beyonders can digest potions within half a year, and there are also the fastest cases within a month," Zhou Mingrui answered, recalling some of his past followers who managed to advance in a month.
Miss Justice looked surprised, and her emotions were colored with joy and anticipation for her own development.
Meanwhile, The Hanged Man was relatively calm and controlled, as if it met his expectations.
Thanks to Zhou Mingrui's answer and relaxed attitude, The Hanged Man seemed to become bolder and revealed information he had kept.
"In one of the missions I took, there was information regarding the Listener of the Aurora Order who is searching for the True Creator's holy residence." The Hanged Man glanced briefly at him, then immediately turned to Miss Justice.
"True Creator? Aurora Order?" The naive Miss Justice guessed based on the information about secret organizations they had discussed earlier.
The Hanged Man Alger voluntarily explained, then mentioned the tarot card Roselle made to represent the True Creator, which was The Hanged Man tarot card.
"Mr. Fool, is what I said correct?" Finally, The Hanged Man Alger asked for his confirmation.
Zhou Mingrui considered the danger level for a moment, then answered in a deep voice, "I prefer to call him The Fallen Creator."
After all, that nickname was more fitting. The name True Creator was too complimentary for an evil god who desired blood sacrifices with a twisted mind.
Both members were stunned and speechless for a moment.
To break the frozen atmosphere, Miss Justice took the initiative to change the topic, "Mr. Fool, are you considering adding members to this gathering?"
For the sake of the "new era" plan, of course, Zhou Mingrui had considered recruiting more Tarot Club members. However, he needed time to stabilize himself before he could pull in more members.
Regarding testing trustworthy members, that wasn't necessary. Zhou Mingrui could verify it anytime through divination, and he wasn't worried if anyone betrayed him. He could handle them directly.
"This started as an attempt, but now it has become a regular gathering. So, indeed there will be new members. If you have recommendations, you can propose them," he replied to Miss Justice.
Zhou Mingrui didn't mention anything about testing; that would be left to the wisdom of Miss Justice or The Hanged Man themselves, he didn't need to bother caring.
After their agreement, he ended the gathering this time and watched them return to the real world.
.....
Although Zhou Mingrui couldn't directly descend to the real world, it didn't mean he had no other way to see the human world.
It might be possible with his Avatar, but that would be quickly detected by Evernight.
This was indeed not the right time for him to show himself, but he couldn't continue sleeping because recovery in this condition was limited.
He needed to actively gain acknowledgment so his human side would be stronger.
Zhou Mingrui stared far into the gray fog, then pulled out a historical projection of himself. His projection from the past, which possessed no Beyonder powers.
Of course, if his consciousness shifted to that projection, he could still use his powers, only more covertly and undetectably because his projection would leave no trace in the real world, unlike an Avatar.
He dressed his projection in an appearance appropriate for the era. No longer modern clothes, but a black coat, a half-top hat, and a silver-inlaid cane. The appearance of a respectable young gentleman, but not a noble. That identity suited his projection.
Then, the next problem arose. Zhou Mingrui considered where the first place his projection would visit.
Is it Backlund? The city where Miss Justice is currently located.
No, too risky because there were many High-Sequence Beyonders there; it would attract all sorts of trouble for his projection.
In that case, a city he knew and happened to be connected to him, which was the city where the Antigonus notebook was found by those unfortunate people.
Zhou Mingrui planned to see them to find out if their fates would remain the same or change. Would they die in confusing ways even though he had saved them?
Especially that lucky man who became a Nighthawk member. It seemed the man was called Klein Moretti and took the Seer pathway.
So, Klein Moretti should be under his supervision.
On the other hand, he also wanted to witness what kind of show Azulhod was assembling. He might not interfere too much, but that wouldn't stop him from watching them.
***
Notes: