AN: I'm not dead yet, but I wish I was.
The City of Silver stood as the last bastion of civilization in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
Stone pillars lined the main streets, topped with lanterns that housed unlit candles. Here, there was no sun, moon, or stars. There was only unchanging darkness and lightning that threatened to tear everything apart.
The citizens of the City of Silver navigated the dark streets by the illumination of the lightning. The few hours when the lightning died down were considered the "true night" mentioned in legends. That was the only time they used candles to light up the city, drive away the darkness, and warn off monsters.
In a nondescript house, a boy with brownish-yellow hair knelt before a crystal ball. Tears streamed from his eyes as he prayed to the magnificent deity, echoing the legends of a long-lost city his father had once told him about.
"Why? Why?" Derrick asked in despair, shaking his head. "Why are the citizens of the City of Silver destined from birth to kill their parents?"
In this land forsaken by God, people were cursed to become evil spirits unless they died at the hands of a family member.
He remained kneeling before the crystal ball as he pleaded bitterly, praying without hope.
"O Magnificent Deity, please cast your eyes on this land that you have forsaken.
"O Magnificent Deity, please allow us, the People of the Dark, to be freed from the curse of our destiny.
"I am willing to dedicate my life to you and use my blood to please you."
...
Over and over he prayed. Just as he fell into complete despair and prepared to stand, a red glow burst forth from the pure crystal ball. The glow moved like flowing water, instantly swallowing Derrick.
When he regained his senses, he realized he was standing in a magnificent palace supported by giant stone pillars. In front of him sat a long, ancient table. On the other side of the table was a human figure obscured by thick fog.
Other than that, the space was empty and ethereal. Beneath him lay boundless fog and incorporeal dark red specks of light.
Derrick felt a flame of hope ignite in his heart. He stared at the human figure at the very top, confused and puzzled.
"Are... are you God?" Derrick asked in the midst of his shock and hope.
After asking this, he suddenly remembered a statement he had read in a book in the City of Silver and quickly lowered his head.
That statement was: "Do not look directly at God!"
The deep voice of the God reverberated through the space. "I am not God. I am merely The Fool who is interested in the long history of this world."
'The Fool...' Derrick ruminated over the term. After a long silence, he dropped to his knees without hesitation.
"Mr. Fool," Derrick's voice shook. "Please... please save my parents."
"Why should I help you?"
Derrick froze. He raised his head to look at the shrouded being in front of him. He bit his lip and spoke without a second thought. "I will offer my soul to you. I will use my blood to please you."
The Fool chuckled and answered, "I have no interest in the soul and blood of a mortal. But I can give you a chance."
"I am a Fool who likes a fair and equal exchange. You have nothing I want at the moment, but you will in the future. I can see potential in you.
"So here is my offer. You will owe me a favor for the future. In exchange, I will heal your parents."
Derrick's eyes widened. Indecision clouded his heart, but his suicidal thoughts won out. He replied with difficulty, "I-I... I agree. Please, heal my parents..."
The Fool maintained his posture and replied with a calm tone. "I will permit you to recite my name. Remember the incantations I am going to tell you."
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
Derrick's pupils constricted when he heard the words, but he didn't dare get distracted. He recited the name over and over in his heart, then confirmed it with The Fool.
"Go to the place where your parents are kept and recite my honorific name."
Before he could say anything else, his vision vanished in a tide of crimson light. He found himself back in his room, kneeling in front of the crystal ball, which had shattered into dust.
A burning sensation appeared on the back of his hand and vanished a moment later.
He wiped away his tears and walked out of his home.
...
The atmosphere in the city was silent and heavy. Derrick lowered his head and walked toward the mortuary. The guards at the entrance were exhausted after a long shift. He waited behind a broken stone wall until their attention drifted, then slipped along the shadow of the corridor and entered through the half-closed door.
The air inside was cold and carried the smell of sickness.
Rows of bodies lay on stone beds. Some were already motionless. Others still breathed faintly, their skin pale and covered in dark veins. His parents were among them, lying side by side, their faces gaunt and lifeless.
Derrick's chest tightened more and more as he walked forward. He quietly and knelt between their beds. His hands trembled, but his mind remained clear. He closed his eyes and began to recite in a low voice.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era,
the mysterious ruler above the gray fog,
the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
As the final word left his lips, the air changed and a faint gray mist seeped from nowhere. It spread across the floor and gently flowed like water. The temperature dropped and the candle flames in the corners of the room flickered, turning an azure color.
The gray fog thickened until the entire mortuary was covered in it.
In front of Derrick, a holy figure slowly condensed from the mist. Twelve pairs of luminous wings materialized and spread outward. Descending from above, the being extended its arms.
Derrick turned his eyes and looked toward the people.
The gray fog moved over the stone beds as it passed through each body without obstruction. Wherever it touched, the dark veins on the bodies faded. The unnatural pallor of the living bodies disappeared and the twisted expressions of pain gradually relaxed.
Moments later, the holy figure dissolved into gray fog and vanished. The mortuary returned to its original stillness.
Derrick felt the oppressive aura of death was gone.
One by one, the sick people inhaled sharply. Their breathing grew steady as color returned to their faces. The corruption that lingered within their flesh was washed away as if it had never existed.
His mother's fingers twitched and his father's chest rose with a deep breath.
Derrick looked at his parents. Tears flowed unbidden from his eyes.
***
The heavy stone doors of the Six-Member Council headquarters remained completely shut. Inside the grand, dimly lit chamber, Derrick knelt on the cold stone floor. His eyes were glued to the ground. Heavy iron handcuffs bound his wrists together.
Before him sat the six highest authorities of the City of Silver. At the center was the Chief, Colin Iliad. He was a tall, muscular elder with pale, light blue eyes and a shock of messy white hair. Twisted, hideous old scars cut across his face and blended into his deep wrinkles. He looked down at the boy with an unreadable expression.
The room was incredibly tense. When the elders discovered what Derrick had done, a massive uproar swept through the higher-ups. They locked him up immediately. They also detained his parents and everyone else who had been healed in the mortuary, placing them under strict observation to check for any hidden side effects or lingering corruption.
"Speak," one of the elders commanded. "How exactly did you do it?"
Derrick swallowed hard. He did not dare lie to the Council. He truthfully explained everything from start to finish. He told them how he prayed to a secret existence using the old crystal ball.
"The crystal ball from Moon City," A female elder muttered. "The one supposedly connected to the secret existence they worship."
Derrick nodded slightly. He then explained the core of the deal. He told them he owed a favor to this powerful being in exchange for his parents' lives.
Colin raised a hand to end the questioning. "That is all we need to hear. Take him away," he ordered. Two heavily armored Dawn Paladins immediately stepped forward and grabbed Derrick by his arms and left.
Silence fell over the council for a brief moment before an elder on the far right slammed his fist on the table. "This is far too dangerous. We should kill him immediately before this entity brings doom to our city."
Another elder quickly rebuked him. "Think about the consequences. He made a binding deal. If he dies without paying the price to this secret existence, who do you think will be forced to pay it? The debt might fall on the entire City of Silver."
Chief Colin watched the exchange silently, before finally raising a hand. The room quieted down at once. "We cannot kill the boy," the Chief declared.
A third elder, sitting near the end of the table, looked visibly agitated. "But we found a way to solve the issue of the curse! The curse that forces us to kill our own family members finally has a cure. Should we really ignore it?"
Colin shook his head slowly. "We do not know what this secret existence truly wants. Calling out to an unknown entity for more favors would be foolishness of the highest degree. We absolutely cannot put our hopes in that. The risk to the City of Silver is simply too massive."
He looked around the table, making sure he met the eyes of every elder present. "We are going to hide all information about this healing and the secret existence from everyone. Keep the boy detained in the spire for now. As for the people in the mortuary, tell them they were just lucky. Tell them the corruption from their sickness healed on its own."
The elders slowly nodded in agreement, accepting the Chief's judgment.
...
The Spire was a place where Beyonders, or people who showed signs of losing control, were taken. There, various methods were used to save them.
Walking in the gloomy and creepy corridor, Darrick suddenly felt a strange chill.
"Help!"
A sharp shrill voice suddenly sounded from a sealed room.
"Help..."
The voice came to a sudden halt, and then there was silence.
'This...' In the eerie silence, the first thought Derrick Berg had when he came back to his senses was to rescue that person.
However, the two guards that held him in the middle didn't show any reaction to it, as if everything that had just happened was just his imagination.
"Someone is calling out for help," the young Derrick informed the two Dawn Paladins.
On his left, a tall knight clad in silver armor calmly replied, "Don't be fooled.
"That's just the normal behavior of those Beyonders who are on the verge of losing control."
'Is that so? Maybe he cried out for help because he just isn't willing to give up and lose control and become a monster...' Derrick thought sorrowfully.
Following the change in his mood, the illusory, buzzing sound in his ears became more distinct.
After silently taking a few steps forward, the Dawn Paladin from before pointed to a door on the left and said, "You will be staying here for the time being."
Saying that, the sound of the iron door closing and locking, Derrick entered his own room.
The first thing he saw was a candle flickering with a faint yellow light, and then he made out a low bed, a chair, and a square table.
Other than that, there was nothing else. However, the walls, including the door, were all engraved with complicated and mysterious symbols and labels. They seemed to form a complete seal.
After an unknown period of time, he suddenly heard the sound of someone banging on his door. However, this didn't come from outside his room, but from his neighboring cell.
Derrick sat up and listened. He heard a sharp, high-pitched wail from the knocking.
His hair stood on end as he abruptly stood up, taking an extremely defensive stance.
At this moment, thumping sounds spread to the metal walls that were separated by two rooms, slowly smashing a protrusion.
Derrick took a step back when the scene before his eyes suddenly lit up. It seemed as if the entire space around him had been moved to the outside world, just in time for the lightning to streak past.
The sound of the wall being smashed beside him had vanished, and the bottom of the spire regained its silence.
It wasn't an absolute silence. Rather, the sound of light footsteps echoed for a long distance. It only turned silent after the echoes continued on for a long time.
Derrick was wondering what had happened to the Beyonder in the neighboring cell when someone knocked on the metal wall on the other side.
"Who is it?" Derrick asked, raising his voice in slight alarm.
The knocking immediately stopped, and after a few seconds, a deep yet rather old voice was faintly transmitted.
"So it turns out to be a young fellow."
"You are?" Seeing that the other person could communicate rationally, Derrick leaned against the wall and pressed his ear against the cold metal.
The elderly voice chuckled and said, "The person next to you almost lost control several times. He ultimately couldn't be saved today."
'He completely lost control?' Derrick asked through the metal wall, "So he's become a monster now?"
"No, not a monster, but a corpse. He was finished off by the item sealed in here." The elderly voice sighed. "I've been here for forty-two years. Yes, those guards told me that they've seen too many similar incidents."
Derrick was surprised and returned with a question, "You've been here for forty-two years?"
The old man proceeded to explain that 42 years ago, he was the captain of an exploration team. His crew discovered a ruined city about a half-month away. The city shared their faith in the Creator but had vainly tried to invent new gods to save themselves before being completely wiped out.
The biggest discovery was that they found a living outsider there. It was the first time in 2,000 years the City of Silver had encountered someone from the outside world.
Derrick was surprised. Impressed by Derrick's reaction, the old man continued. He said his team invited the stranger back to their city as a guest. Right before they arrived, the man completely vanished. Shortly after the team returned home, every single member of his crew went mad and lost control.
The council concluded the stranger was actually an evil spirit or monster that contaminated them. Since then, they have kept the old man locked up, checking on him occasionally without ever explaining his condition or letting him out.
When Derrick asked what the stranger looked like, the old man painfully admitted his memory was blurry. He only remembered an incredibly average guy dressed just like them. He figured the elders probably used Beyonder powers to pull the real image straight from his mind anyway.
Derrick pressed him, casually, "Did he say what his name was? Did he tell you about his origins?"
The elderly voice acknowledged tersely.
"He told us that his name was..."
He paused for a moment before saying, "Amon."
***
Inside a detainment room in the City of Silver, Derrick sat silently on the edge of his bed, waiting for his detainment to end.
To avoid contact with anyone, he wasn't allowed to leave the room after his "confession." He had nearly finished all his given food. Enduring the hunger and his stomach's growls, Derrick felt like a living corpse roaming a dark plain. Still, he remained quiet and didn't stand up.
At that moment, a dark red hue spread through the air and quickly swallowed him. The gray, boundless, cold, and lonely world appeared in his vision once again. Seated at the place of honor, The Fool, obscured by thick fog, presented himself once more.
"We meet again," The Fool said with a smile.
Derrick was shocked by the sudden shift. He lowered his head. "You are a Fool who keeps his word. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving my parents."
Derrick's eyes darted around the space above the gray fog before he asked Mr. Fool, "May I know why you summoned me?"
Mr. Fool let out a chuckle. "I am a Fool who likes a fair and equal exchange. I called you here because I hold a gathering once in a while. In it, you can use what you attain to exchange with me or people like you for things you want. But remember, they must be equal in value..."
Derrick listened quietly. He lowered his head in silence and replied after a while, "Thank you for inviting me…"
"I need you to confirm your code name." Mr. Fool smiled and pointed at the deck of tarot cards that appeared on the table. Since Derrick had never come into contact with tarot cards, Mr. Fool gave a brief introduction. "Pick one of the cards as your code name. Anything besides The Fool, Justice, The Hanged Man and The World."
Derrick took two steps forward, flipped through the cards, and said without hesitation, "Sun. I pick The Sun."
"Remember your choice. It will follow you for the rest of your life," Mr. Fool said. "The other members will arrive in a while. Before that, I'll confirm a few things with you first."
He then proceeded to give Derrick some general knowledge about the Tarot Club.
After that, Mr. Fool extended his hand and pressed on the dark red stars representing Justice, Hanged Man and The World. Derrick didn't blink as he witnessed this. He saw light burst forth opposite and beside him as three hazy figures emerged from within.
Audrey Hall surveyed her surroundings and suddenly froze. She then heard the ever-calm voice of Mr. Fool.
"They are two of our newest members. His code name is Sun," Mr. Fool said, pointing toward Derrick. He then pointed toward the other person sitting opposite him and added, "And his code name is World."
"This is Miss Justice, and that is Mr. Hanged Man."
'Newest members?' Audrey was shocked at first, but her shock immediately turned into joy. She was very excited to see the Tarot Club grow. She felt like a protagonist.
The Hanged Man, Alger, creased his brows. He was a little upset that The Fool would drag in new members so suddenly.
'He should have at least mentioned it to us... But a great figure like Mr. Fool wouldn't have to care about our feelings…' he thought in exasperation. He gave a simple greeting to Justice, Sun, and World, to which Mr. World gave a rather cold response.
After the introduction, Audrey activated her Spectator ability and scrutinized the new members. 'He should be quite young... His body language tells me that he's a little nervous and restrained... But he ultimately maintains a tolerable air of silence, giving the feeling of... hmm, a lone wolf. Yes, a lone wolf...' Audrey thought as she cast her gaze at The World, who was seated at the far end of the long bronze table. 'Mr. World is a reserved person. He seldom moves and always wears a straight face. I wonder where he's from. Loen? Intis?'
She then turned toward Mr. Fool and said joyfully, "Mr. Fool, I've collected another two pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."
She handed him the diary pages. Mr. Fool started to read. After a couple of minutes, he put them down and asked, "Miss Justice, what do you need?"
Audrey's eyes beamed with excitement, but she replied in a reserved manner. "I think I'll soon fully digest the Spectator potion. I hope I can get the formula for the next sequence so that I can prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Ahem, can you tell me the name of the next sequence, and if possible, I would like to know the ingredients as well...
"Hmm, I know there isn't much content in two pages of the diary, and it might not equal the value of the potion formula. I'll give you another page, and I'll also pay you a sum of money on the side..."
She hadn't even finished her sentence when she suddenly realized it sounded wrong. She couldn't help but berate herself in her head. Mr. Fool is at the very least an important figure approaching the level of a god. How could he be bought with money?!
Audrey couldn't maintain her Spectator state. She hurriedly added with a stammer, "I misspoke! Mr. Fool, what I meant to say is that you can determine the compensation you'd like. Yes, that is what I meant!"
When she finished speaking, Alger was astonished by the speed of her digestion. At the same time, he noted internally that his Seafarer potion was digesting at an astonishing speed as well. His eyes turned toward The Fool. 'Is this his doing? It is highly likely since the digestion only sped up after I came into contact with Mr. Fool... How powerful is this being?' Alger couldn't help but feel pure awe at the power of Mr. Fool.
Just then, The Sun, Derrick Berg, suddenly spoke up. "The Spectator? The Spectator that is followed by Telepathist?"
Audrey looked toward him puzzledly. "You know of it?"
'This guy is very strange…' Audrey examined Sun's every movement.
Derrick felt guilty because he couldn't provide it immediately. He tried his best to explain himself. "This is a Sequence pathway that stemmed from the Dragon race. Our City of Silver was once ruled by the Giant King's imperial household. As you know, the Giants and the Dragons are sworn enemies. Because of this, the City of Silver has all of Sequence 9, 8, and 7. I have ways to get them."
'Giant King, Dragon race, the City of Silver…' Audrey was completely lost. She glanced at The Hanged Man and could tell from his body language that he was just as shocked.
They both looked toward the seat of honor. The Fool sat casually in his high chair, swallowed by the thick fog. He looked completely unfazed and simply watched them with a knowing smile. Audrey and Alger instantly realized that he already knew everything.
"The City of Silver? I have never heard of this place. Where is it?" Audrey asked, while Alger listened closely.
Derrick had his own questions. He knew Justice and The Hanged Man were Beyonders, but back in the Forsaken Land of God, he had never seen anyone outside his own city.
He replied, "If you aren't from the City of Silver, which city state are you from?"
Audrey was at a loss for words. She assumed his question was a subtle warning to stop prying into each other's locations, so she nodded elegantly and stayed quiet. Alger misunderstood Derrick the exact same way and kept his mouth shut too.
When Derrick didn't get an answer, he figured out the situation. He dropped the subject and replied seriously, "I can get you the formula, but not right now. I am under surveillance for praying to Mr. Fool!"
Alger suddenly twitched. He stopped himself from asking what Derrick meant by being under surveillance and whether he had disclosed Mr. Fool's existence to others right before joining.
Audrey was shocked as well. "What do you mean?"
Derrick coughed into his hand, feeling a little chastised. "Umm... I made a deal with Mr. Fool to heal my parents. In exchange, I owe him a favor..."
Before they could continue, a tapping on the bronze table brought their attention to Mr. Fool. He let out a light chuckle and said, "Do not worry about my existence being revealed to his associates. I deliberately arranged it so."
"Ummm... if that is Mr. Fool's will, then we can't complain." Audrey then turned toward Derrick and apologized. "I am sorry, Mr. Sun, for acting prematurely." Audrey cursed her own inexperience and thoughtlessness.
Derrick then scratched his cheek and replied, "It's no issue, Miss Justice."
Mr. World suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Sun, since you are currently under surveillance, you do not need to procure the potion formula right now. If you did, it would only deepen the suspicion surrounding you. Your associates might mistake Mr. Fool for a malevolent entity trying to take advantage of your situation."
Everyone at the long bronze table nodded in agreement. However, Audrey felt her lips twitch slightly. She could not shake the feeling that they were somehow tricking the earnest Mr. Sun. She observed The World closely.
'Mr. World seems to be experienced in these kinds of matters.' she thought to herself.
Breaking the brief silence, Mr. World turned his attention back to Audrey. "I have the potion formula for the next sequence of the Spectator pathway. I can provide the Telepathist formula, but I believe Miss Justice cannot afford the price I want right now."
He paused and looked toward the head of the bronze table. "So I have a proposal for Mr. Fool."
"I will give Miss Justice the Telepathist formula. In exchange, I need Mr. Fool's blessing for a task I need done. Miss Justice will then gather new pages of Roselle's diary and present them to Mr. Fool in the future. That will complete the deal."
Mr. Fool chuckled lightly. "According to the law of equivalent exchange, I am on the losing end of this transaction. But, I am inclined to overlook this just once."
"Your benevolence knows no bounds, Mr. Fool," Audrey said happily.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Fool," Mr. World added.
…
Audrey coughed lightly into her hand. "Mr. Fool, I would like to ask another question. I assume you are aware of the recent incident in Backlund involving the capture of a human trafficking ring."
Audrey then proceeded to explain the situation related to the Capim Files.
She paused for a moment before continuing. "What I want to know is this. Two Tarot cards were left behind along with documents exposing the perpetrators. Was our Tarot Club involved, or was it just a coincidence?"
"Yes."
The answer did not come from Mr. Fool, but from the newly joined Mr. World.
"A Blessed of Mr. Fool was searching for a Card of Blasphemy in Backlund."
Audrey and Alger both drew in a breath. Audrey lost her Spectator composure and blurted out, "There was a Card of Blasphemy in Backlund!?"
"Yes," Mr. World replied calmly.
Alger silently reached a conclusion. 'The Blessed of Mr. Fool definitely had obtained the card'
Mr. World continued, "During the search, he discovered that Capim was involved in human trafficking. Capim's bodyguard was too powerful, so he requested Mr. Fool's assistance and received a portion of His strength. With that, he and one of his associates defeated Capim, captured a high-ranking member, and forced a confession regarding the entire operation. The information was then released to the public."
Audrey listened carefully, her heart beating rapidly. She could not hide her excitement as she asked, "Did the Blessed find the Card of Blasphemy in the traffickers' possession?"
Mr. World shook his head. "No. The Blessed was searching for the Card of Blasphemy. Discovering the human traffickers was merely a coincidence."
'It means the Blessed is possibly a good-hearted person, If so…' Alger noted to himself and cleared his throat. "On the topic of Backlund, I have a formal request for you, Miss Justice. I am willing to provide additional compensation for this."
Audrey turned her attention to him. "Please go ahead, Mr. Hanged Man."
"I have received reliable intelligence that the pirate Qilangos, Vice Admiral Hurricane, has secretly infiltrated Backlund," Alger said. "I do not know his objective, but I need you to locate him. You do not need to engage him or put yourself in danger. I only need a location."
"Vice Admiral Hurricane?" Audrey's eyes widened, and her Spectator composure momentarily slipped. As a noble girl raised on tales of the high seas, the name of one of the Seven Pirate Admirals was legendary. "One of the great admirals is actually in the city?"
"Yes," Alger warned. "He is a Sequence 6 Wind-blessed of the Sailor pathway, and he possesses a powerful item that would qualify as a Sealed Artifact. He is cunning and exceptionally cruel. Do not attempt to deal with him yourself."
"What's so special about Qilangos's mystical item?" Audrey asked, slightly confident.
To Justice's question, Alger answered almost straightaway without hesitation or thought.
"No one knows the real name of the mystical item, but the people who have come into contact with it call it the 'Creeping Hunger.' Qilangos uses a living person's soul and flesh to satisfy it every other day. Otherwise, it would consume its owner as a replacement."
"This could be one of the most important clues to seek out Qilangos," Audrey said, creasing her eyebrows.
"Yes, but in a big city with millions, a few vagrants disappearing would go unnoticed," Alger said as he explained that Qilangos had become far more dangerous after obtaining Creeping Hunger.
He described how Qilangos, once a Wind-blessed, already had strong control over water, wind, and weather, but now displayed a wide range of strange abilities like driving people mad, entering dreams, purifying souls, strengthening himself through song, and even changing his appearance. It almost seemed like there was nothing he couldn't do, which they believed came from the mystical item.
Before Alger could finish, Derrick suddenly said, "Shepherd!"
Both Justice and The Hanged Man reacted at once, one confused and the other clearly shocked, while Mr. World remained composed.
Startled by the attention, Derrick hurried to explain. He said that the abilities Alger described matched those of a Shepherd, a Beyonder who could swallow souls, including wraiths and evil spirits, and use their powers as their own. Because of this, no one knew how many abilities a Shepherd could have, since it depended on how many souls they had consumed.
He added that some believed there was a limit to how many souls a Shepherd could hold, and that they could replace them as well.
After hearing this, Alger silently understood the situation, while Audrey grew more curious and asked about the pathway and Sequence.
"The Secrets Suppliant pathway, Sequence 5," Mr. World replied immediately.
Hearing this, Audrey felt heavy-hearted and started thinking seriously, considering what price she could pay in exchange for Mr. Fool to take action and rid them of that disgusting fellow effortlessly. However, she couldn't think of anything that would move Mr. Fool to do so.
'As expected, a figure akin to a god wouldn't be easily moved... There aren't many things or matters that would garner their interest after all...' Audrey sighed.
Putting her impulse aside, she nodded to The Sun gratefully, thanking him for giving them a new perspective on Creeping Hunger so that they could deal with it more reasonably and efficiently.
"Mr. Hanged Man, I'm willing to accept the mission. But I can't guarantee that I will find Vice Admiral Hurricane, Qilangos." Audrey looked opposite her as she spoke.
"There's no better answer than this. Regardless of your success, as long as you try, I will definitely compensate you with things like secret information or intelligence. And if you succeed, maybe I could provide you with the Telepathist's main ingredients directly," Alger promised generously, which was a rare sight.
"Deal," Audrey pursed her lips and replied with a faint smile.
Alger then turned his head toward the figure shrouded in gray mist at the head of the table. He bowed his head respectfully. "Mr. Fool, if the situation reaches a crisis, may I ask for your Blessed to assist me? I am prepared to pay a price that would interest you."
Hearing his request, Mr. Fool seemingly waved his hand. "I will send someone to help if it's needed."
"Thank you, Mr. Fool."
Then, Alger created Qilangos's portrait with Mr. Fool's permission.
He was one of the seven major pirate admirals. He had a distinctive broad chin, brown hair tied into a bun at the back of his head like an ancient warrior, and green eyes that seemed to hint at laughter but were abnormally cold.
After they finished their discussion and shared their insights, Mr. Fool smiled as he announced the end of the gathering. He saw Justice, The World, and The Hanged Man get up swiftly from their seats and bow, while The Sun mimicked their motions, only slower.
Throughout the gathering, aside from a couple of mysticism terms, Derrick Berg couldn't understand a single word. He was very confused, feeling that he only understood a few terms but couldn't string them together to form any logical sense.
Mr. Fool pressed forward with his right hand and severed the connection, but he didn't leave immediately.
…
After the Tarot Club gathering ended, Klein sat in his high-backed chair. In front of him was the crimson light representing Darrick.
Darrick was detained at the bottom of the spire.
Klein sighed. "The City of Silver people are way too paranoid."
Since Darrick wasn't a Beyonder yet, despite his knowledge of mysticism, his sense of danger was off. Klein had thought Darrick would mention the old man he spoke to when he was detained in the spire.
He let out a chuckle. His gaze shifted to the room next to Darrick's detention room, where the old man sat cross-legged as if meditating.
The old man contained a Sequence 3: Mentor of Deceit characteristic. That was why he hadn't noticed Klein observing him yet.
Klein interlocked his fingers, rested his elbows on the table, and fell into a Gendo Ikari pose as he began to think.
How should he handle this situation? Despite all his defenses and powers, Klein considers Amon to be an unpredictable opponent. His preparations for a battle against Amon for the throne of the Lord of Mysteries are not ready yet.
Despite Amon's unpredictability, Klein is certain that once Amon discovers his situation, he will go all out from the very beginning and do something unexpected. So, He wants to keep Amon in the dark a bit longer.
Klein's eyes lit up as an idea formed. His vision pierced the spirit world to locate a Blessed of the Eternal Blazing Sun, one of the Saints of the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. With a chuckle, he summoned a historical projection of Saint Viève, the Guardian Angel of Trier, above Sefirah Castle.
A female figure draped in a white robe adorned with golden threads appeared. She looked as if she were made of pure light, translucent and ethereal. With emerald green eyes and flowing blonde hair, she radiated beauty and a divine aura.
Before the lady could understand what is happening, Klein fooled the historical projection and used decryption on the blessing she had received from the Eternal Blazing Sun. He pinched his fingers in front of her and pulled, using his Theft ability to steal the blessing. A thin strand of light appeared from her body. The strand was a bright, inextinguishable light.
He smiled and waved his hand, dismissing the historical projection.
Then he looked toward the crimson light representing Darrick and flicked the strand of light toward it. He smiled and With a snap of his fingers, he grafted the blessing of the Eternal Blazing Sun onto Darrick.
With that, he retracted his vision from the scene. He had set a red herring for Amon to find. He hoped it would work.
...
After the Tarot gathering ended, Darrick returned to the real world and let out a sigh of relief.
He still didn't know what the being known as Mr. Fool wanted, but by attending the gathering, he had at least gained some clues.
He was certain that the beings he met in the place above the gray fog were from outside the City of Silver, possibly even from the outside world where the sun shines daily.
After sitting like that for a couple of minutes, he suddenly felt bored.
His eyes drifted to the wall beside him, where the old man's voice had been coming from. He stepped closer and knocked on the wall three times.
He completed his signal, but there was no response even after a long time.
'Did he fall asleep? Or was he taken to the Six-Member Council?' Derrick wondered as he stared at the dull metal wall.
At that moment, an elderly and fleeting voice came from the bed behind him.
"Are you looking for me...?"
The moment the voice entered his ears, Derrick froze. His skin tightened, and his hair stood on end.
'Why is he behind me? Why is he in my room? What happened to the seal? What about the effects of the mystical items?'
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, and he subconsciously wanted to turn around to take a look.
But his instincts stopped him.
Derrick raised his hands and clenched them into fists in front of his chest. Then, slowly, he turned around, bit by bit.
The dark figure rapidly became clear, revealing a head that had been split in half.
In the middle of its head, two gray brains wriggled as if alive, trying to move toward each other but unable to do so.
The thick, viscous liquid on the severed surface had turned into thin threads that shrank like maggots.
Each eye sat on separate halves, far apart. The bridge of the nose was split down the middle. The blood was bright and unmistakable.
The left side of its mouth hung open, while the right side remained tightly shut.
This terrifying figure was naked, its body covered in numerous dark red wounds.
Each wound had been torn open, revealing rows of white teeth. They spoke in unison, repeating the same sentence over and over.
"Are you looking for me...?"
It paused for a moment. The corners of its mouth and the edges of its wounds curled upward.
"Look. Am I not normal...?"
Derrick's pupils contracted.
The translucent maggots in the brain suddenly leapt outward from the mutated man, forming a phantom wearing a black classical robe and a pointed hat.
The shadow had black hair, black eyes, a wide forehead, and a thin face. A crystal monocle rested over its right eye.
The monocle wearing phantom's hand suddenly extended towards Derrick. His vision turned white as the moment stretched unnaturally. A burst of warmth ignited in his chest and expanded outward instantly.
His skin began to glow blindingly bright, as if something inside him had been lit.
A brilliant explosion of light erupted from his body, swallowing the room in an instant. The walls, the floor, even the air itself were drowned in that inexhaustible light, as if a miniature sun had been born within him.
The monocle-wearing phantom was engulfed in the radiance. Its outstretched hand froze midair, then began to disintegrate into countless fragments of light.
The avatar let out a faint laugh before its body completely collapsed, dissolving into nothing under the overwhelming brilliance.
Moments later, Derrick's consciousness slipped away, leaving only silence.
In a far-off, undisclosed location, an Amon avatar stood looking up at the Cosmos. He reached up and pinched his crystal monocle. He felt the feedback from his avatar and his smile grew.
"Interesting," he said to the empty air. He looked towards the Forsaken Land of the Gods. "What are you up to, Aucuses?"