The answer to that question was obvious enough.
If Amon, just like in the original story, had still parasitized that former exploration team leader, then whether or not Derrick ended up in the cell next door to it, it would sooner or later track him down anyway, following the scent of Beyond the Grey Fog.
Which meant it was only a matter of time before it came for Klein too — and without the Black Emperor card, what would Klein have left to fight Amon with?
Klein really was having some rotten luck. In reality, he had Stephen — status unknown — as his bodyguard, and now, Beyond the Grey Fog, he was about to have Amon coming for him too, on top of that ring from the Witch cult's Primordial Witch. Could he still make it all the way through, the way he had in the original story?
If Klein couldn't become the Lord of Mysteries, then who would be left to face the apocalypse?
Wait.
Why was he just assuming, as an obvious given, that Klein had to ascend to Lord of Mysteries in order to deal with it — when he didn't even actually know what the "apocalypse" of the world of mysteries even referred to?
Vincent frowned, thinking it over for a moment. Oh, right — the reason the Goddess of the Evernight had invested in and backed Klein in the first place was partly so that, once Klein became Lord of Mysteries, he could help her ascend to godhood too — but more importantly, so she could use Klein's power to fight off the apocalypse.
So then — what exactly was the "apocalypse" of the world of mysteries?
A moment later, Vincent shook his head to himself: never mind, better to deal with the crisis right in front of him first.
As for handling Amon's incursion into Beyond the Grey Fog, the only approach Vincent could think of, for now, was the same one from the original story — using the Card of Blasphemy to leverage the power of Beyond the Grey Fog and drive Amon out.
Which meant lending the Black Emperor card to Klein, to help him get through it. But exactly how to "lend" it still needed some thought — wouldn't want to lend it out and never get it back; that'd be a huge loss on his end.
While Vincent was still thinking it over, Derrick suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "Oh, right — Mr. Lovers, Mr. Hanged Man, have either of you ever heard of someone called 'Yuan'?"
The question caught everyone off guard at once. They exchanged glances, all equally puzzled. The Hanged Man, Alger, frowned, asking back, confused, "'Yuan' — what do you mean?"
Everyone but Fors already knew that the reason they could communicate freely with Mr. Sun was because Mr. Fool converted each side's words into a language the other could understand.
But this particular sound, "Yuan," was completely unfamiliar to all of them.
Derrick scratched his head. "I only know it by how it sounds — I don't know what the actual word is, or what it means."
Hearing this, Vincent froze for a beat. The sound? Wasn't that just his own Chinese name? Why would Little Sun suddenly bring this up?
"Mr. Sun, why are you suddenly asking about this person?"
Derrick thought back to what the former exploration team leader had told him. "Forty-two years ago, an exploration team ran into someone in the Deep Darkness who called himself 'Yuan.' After they made it back to Silver City, they went mad and lost control, one after another — only one of them was left, and he's the one locked up at the bottom of the Round Tower. Right — right next to me."
"???"
Something jolted through Vincent's chest. Something's wrong. Very wrong.
In the original story, when Little Sun had been locked up at the bottom of the Round Tower, it was precisely there that he'd encountered the former exploration team leader — the one Amon had parasitized — and heard this exact "story" from him. But in that story, the name mentioned had clearly been "Amon"! That scene was, in fact, Amon's first official appearance in Lord of the Mysteries.
So why had it turned into "Yuan" now?
If it had been anyone else, anywhere else, saying that sound "Yuan," Vincent would've written it off as coincidence. But coming out of Amon's mouth — Vincent was almost certain that "Yuan" could only be referring to himself.
So had he really gone back into the world of mysteries' past through some time-transfer device? Left a whole trail of consequences behind in the past — even crossed paths with Amon somehow?
Wait — no!
By that logic, was the person next to Little Sun even still Amon at all? Or was it "another version of himself," someone who'd lived on from the past all the way into the present timeline? And if so, where had the Amon who was supposed to be there actually gone?
Truly, there was no predicting how things would turn out. One moment he'd been racking his brain over how to help Klein deal with Amon's incursion — the next, he'd just learned that the person he might actually be up against was "his own future self."
Vincent's thoughts spun into chaos.
Back when Bernadette had "split in two," becoming two different Bernadettes across two different worlds, he hadn't felt much about it — he'd just figured it was the same person expressed as two different personalities, bound to merge back into one person someday.
Now that it was happening to him, he finally understood how Bernadette must have felt.
Audrey caught that flicker of emotion crossing Vincent's face and asked, curious, "Mr. Lovers, have you heard of this person called 'Yuan'?"
"Sort of."
Vincent's mind raced, and he quickly came up with an excuse. "I came across the name in an old book once. What it said about him was extremely limited — just mentioned how his name sounded, nothing more."
Little Sun looked a bit disappointed.
Vincent thought it over. "Mr. Sun, going forward, maybe you could try talking more with that former team leader next door, see if you can dig up any new information. But you need to be extremely careful and cautious — I believe that person is very dangerous."
"Understood."
Derrick nodded solemnly, then, after a moment's silence, glanced around at everyone. "Everyone, I have two more questions I'd like some help answering. In return, each of you can ask me one question, and I'll answer whatever I'm able to."
Klein, operating "the World," spoke up. "What did you want to ask?"
"First — more information about the True Creator. Second... I'd like to know who the Seven Gods you all mention actually are, and roughly what their situation is."
The first question had come up after learning that the Chief might be hoping to use Elder Lovia to seek the True Creator's help for Silver City. All Derrick had ever known was that the True Creator was some terrifying evil god — he'd never heard the actual details. Now that this god might have real bearing on Silver City's future, he couldn't afford to treat it lightly.
The second question had been sitting in the back of his mind ever since his very first Tarot Club gathering; this was as good a time as any to finally ask it.
Audrey, Alger, and Klein all immediately offered to answer, while Fors looked utterly lost. A moment later, mulling over "Sun's" question, she pieced together the implication hidden in his words: Wait, seriously? He doesn't even know about the Seven Gods? Where did this guy even come from?
While the other three took turns talking with Derrick, Vincent turned to Fors and said, "Mr. Sun comes from the god-forsaken land. As far as the world out here goes, he basically knows next to nothing."
"The god-forsaken land?"
Fors's mouth fell open in shock. "You — you mean the god-forsaken land? The one I'm thinking of?"
"That's the one."
No wonder — no wonder Silver City, which they'd mentioned earlier, sounded so unfamiliar and strange to me. So Mr. Sun really does come from the legendary god-forsaken land?!
That's a place even the orthodox gods can't reach. Does that mean... Mr. Fool is even more powerful than the Seven Gods themselves?
About ten minutes later, Derrick's exchange with the others wrapped up. Each of them had gotten the answers and information they'd wanted — Alger, Audrey, and Klein all seemed fairly satisfied, but Derrick looked deeply troubled: out here, the True Creator and the Aurora Order that worshipped it were nothing but a bunch of raving lunatics.
Was it really all right for the Chief to be pinning Silver City's hopes on a god like that?
Even if, someday, this god really did decide to protect Silver City and help it escape that land of despair — would the people of Silver City have to become like the Aurora Order's members, too, a bunch of lunatics constantly scheming up terror attacks?
No!
He couldn't let them climb out of one pit only to leap straight into another!
He had to make the Chief understand — the True Creator couldn't be trusted. The only one who could actually help Silver City was the great Mr. Fool.
To be continued…
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