The desolate gray fog appeared before The Sun, Derrick Berg, pulling him into the Tarot Gathering once more. After explaining the gathering's process and post-meeting precautions, Klein pressed his hand to two twinkling stars. With a flash of light, two blurred figures stretched forth.
Simultaneously, Klein activated the star Adrian had left using his "golden finger," making a faint silhouette appear beside his throne. Adrian nodded, acknowledging Klein.
Audrey Hall glanced around, momentarily stunned, then heard Mr. Fool's ever-steady voice: "This is a new member, codenamed The Sun. The other is Mr. The Tower."
"This is Miss Justice, and this is Mr. The Hanged Man."
Adrian noticed The Hanged Man, Alger, furrowing his brow, sparking his interest. He closely observed Alger's expression, detecting faint displeasure at Mr. Fool suddenly introducing a new member.
To feel discontent knowing he's facing a great being… You're no occult novice like Audrey! Truly a Storm* pathway Beyonder—such courage is admirable, Adrian thought, shaking his head with an inward quip.
Alger and Audrey both noticed a pair of eyes floating behind Mr. The Tower, coldly overseeing everyone present. Questions arose, but Mr. Fool's calm voice cut through: "Mr. The Tower is a favored one of The Overseer, joining the Tarot Gathering as His representative."
The Overseer… an unknown great being. But those transparent eyes… recorded before… Wait, could it be the Hidden Sage?! Alger instantly grew wary. As a seasoned sailor, he had access to unique intelligence channels, and the Hidden Sage, a notorious evil god, was documented by the Church of the Storm. Raised in the church, Alger knew the dangers of evil gods, enough to make him wary and hostile toward Mr. The Tower.
Of course, Alger conveniently forgot that Mr. Fool, hosting this gathering, could also be deemed an evil god in some sense.
"Greetings," Adrian said steadily to the three before him. The others, including The Sun, nodded lightly, saying little. Even Audrey, the least experienced Beyonder, knew not to speak rashly, offering only a polite smile and nod.
I don't distrust Mr. Fool's chosen members, but his identity is so mysterious… A powerhouse collaborating with Mr. Fool!Audrey thought, eyeing the two "new members" with excitement. She spoke up joyfully, "Mr. Fool, I've collected two more pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."
"Very good, Miss Justice. What do you seek?" Klein, knowing Audrey was nearing full digestion of her potion, asked deliberately. Audrey's face lit up as she requested the next Sequence's potion formula in advance, inwardly scolding herself for thinking "vulgar money" could trade with Mr. Fool.
Your Mr. Fool could actually use some of that vulgar money… Maybe I'll play middleman and profit later? Adrian mused.
The High-Dimensional Overseer sat in His courtyard, snapping two photos and recording the entire scene. He planned to play this footage for Klein when his humanity waned during advancement, to anchor his human side. The High-Dimensional Overseer had many such recordings…
Not just Klein—from Audrey's stumbles, The Sun getting fleeced, the True Creator and Evernight Goddess clashing, to the Supernova Dominator raging over his "Game of Stars" being upended, and the Unextinguished Ravings bickering with the Uncertain Mist—all were captured by the High-Dimensional Overseer.
For an Outer God with a sliver of human soul, these were fine pastimes. His favorite was a short film from years ago, "Superb! God's Wrath, What the Celestial Worthy Did!" shot long ago, and on Earth, "God's Temptation, The True Creator's Fall."
The High-Dimensional Overseer pondered showing it to the True Creator someday…
"Mr. Fool I seek to obtain Telepathist formula."
Originally, Klein planned to say, "I have a favored one…" to earn a few pounds. But before he could, The Sun, Derrick Berg, blurted out, "The Telepathist potion formula? The Telepathist after Psychiatrist?"
The Tarot Gathering's sheep was born… Adrian watched Little Sun quietly, a smile creeping up. He saw Derrick, at a speed even Mr. Fool couldn't stop, spill his entire background to Alger and Audrey, patting his chest to assure Audrey he could get the Telepathist formula.
After the trio completed their trade, Mr. Fool, Klein, subtly requested Audrey provide funds to his "favored one." To preserve Mr. Fool's dignity, Klein spun a long-winded speech to mask his "send me money" intent. Adrian felt the one chosen by the *Celestial Worthy was different—despite Klein's kindness, in harmless ways, he mirrored the Celestial Worthy's old swindling flair.
As Klein read Roselle's diary, Adrian felt a twinge of disappointment. Through his Sefirot, he clearly saw Klein's expression—unfazed, no ripple. No "The taste of a Demoness is quite nice" this time, sadly. After Klein's reading, he signaled the Tarot Gathering members to converse freely. Audrey, intending to stay a quiet Spectator, recalled something and spoke up, "I've recently joined some Beyonder circles and learned of a strong figure, Mr. A. Mr. Fool, Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. Sun, Mr. Tower, do you know his background or true identity?"
Alger, gauging Mr. Fool's stance, carefully shared Aurora Order intel. Audrey, listening, gasped, The one who gave Glaint the potion was Mr. A! He's likely Aurora Order! Could the Actor formula be a disguised Hanged Man pathway? No, if Glaint became a True Creator devotee, he'd show changes, not seem so normal now… she mused chaotically.
Somewhat pained, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man. You, uh, don't need to pay the extra reward."
"No, I'd like to use that answer and more reward to ask a favor," Alger said gravely.
"What favor?" Audrey asked, puzzled.
After a few seconds, Alger said, "I've got intel that the pirate admiral 'Hurricane' Qilangos secretly landed and sneaked into Backlund, purpose unknown. I need you to track his whereabouts. You won't need to handle what follows—no risks."
Qilangos? The pirate admiral? Audrey was about to respond when Adrian interjected, "Mr. Hanged Man, I can help. I happen to have influence in Backlund. How deep do you need the investigation?"
"Find his whereabouts, uncover his plans, and… ideally, eliminate him. I'll offer rewards based on the outcome," Alger said, nodding to Audrey. "Our deal stands too. Under Mr. Fool's witness, I'll pay whoever completes the task first."
One payment for two laborers… Klein thought, glancing at Adrian. Adrian leaned back casually, asking Alger, "What's Qilangos's magical item? His strength?"
"Its true name isn't widely known, but those in the know call it Creeping Hunger…" After explaining the item's abilities and Qilangos's strength, Derrick Berg blurted out, "Shepherd!"
"Shepherd?"
Ms. Justice and Mr Hanged Man spoke simultaneously—one purely confused, the other mildly shocked, as if he'd heard "Shepherd" before but lacked details. Before Little Sun could elaborate, Adrian tapped the table, saying casually, "Creeping Hunger is likely a Beyonder item left by a dead Shepherd—heh, that makes this easier. Mr. Fool, I'd like a private word with Mr. Hanged Man."
Through the gray fog, Klein glimpsed Adrian's expression. Hesitating, he said, "Granted."
Klein's bias against the Aurora Order had softened. As the True Creator's state improved, Aurora Order members grew kinder, sometimes volunteering at charities or advocating for desperate poor folk to spread their faith.
Humans are strange creatures. Though their motives served their Lord, Klein's view of the Aurora Order warmed—despite newspapers pinning disasters on them, their restraint had reduced terror incidents across Loen, especially in Backlund.
Legally, they were still heinous, but in a world where lives were cheap, what Beyonder organization was clean? "Beyonder characteristics don't vanish"—the world's cruelest mandate for those with conscience.
With a wave, Klein, using Adrian's prior guidance, stirred the gray fog, shrouding the two. Adrian sat across Alger, saying, "I can kill Qilangos. In exchange, you'll find something for me."
Alger studied Adrian, weighing the cost. Unlike Audrey, he knew the Beyonder world's brutality. Killing a Beyonder with ordinary Sequence 5 combat power wasn't cheap, making Alger hesitant.
"You and Qilangos likely have some dirty secrets—I don't care. But I need you to find something at sea, your forte, Church of the Storm Beyonder."
Shocked at his exposed identity, Alger cautiously asked, "What?"
"An uninhabited island with Intis-style architecture from Roselle's era, distinctly 'eerie,' with Beyonder effects around it. No need to explore—just give me its coordinates once found."
Alger and Klein's minds roiled. Alger weighed the task's feasibility, while Klein, stunned, wondered why Adrian, a fellow "transmigrator," sought another's traces. He itched to ask Adrian's true motives.
Maybe clues from Roselle's diary? A treasure? After all this time, Roselle Gustav can't still be alive, right? Klein speculated wildly.
"I'll search, but I can't guarantee finding your island. The seas are perilous, with too many uncharted areas," Alger said gravely.
"No matter. If you can't find the island's coordinates by Sequence 5, it converts to a Sequence 6 Beyonder characteristic—fair, since Qilangos's Creeping Hunger equates to a Sequence 5 Shepherd, far riskier than a typical Sequence 6," Adrian waved dismissively.
"Understood, but how will you prove you killed Qilangos? I don't doubt you'd break a vow before Mr. Fool, but Qilangos can change appearances—you might be fooled by a decoy," Alger said gruffly. Adrian eyed him, chuckling, "I'll rally people to act, preserving most of his body. You'll verify if I killed the real Qilangos. I'll also display Creeping Hunger as proof."
"As long as you fulfill your promise," Alger agreed.
"No problem," Adrian nodded.
(End of Chapter)