Chapter Text
It was a chaotic world.
A scorching ray of sunlight suddenly cut through the darkness, and the eight-legged demonic wolves running in the darkness howled pitifully, mist escaped from their wide mouths, and scarlet light gushed out of their eyes burning with madness, like flashes of stars. They disappeared into the scorched wasteland as if they had never existed.… The clouds closed in the sky again, plunging the entire earth beneath them into a thick darkness, from which indistinct shadows crept out. Humanoid creatures with sharp fangs and purulent skin pounced on the bright clumps that emerged from the bodies of demonic wolves, devouring them. The next moment, their bodies convulsed, they arched their backs, and new limbs began to form from their ribs.... Going berserk, as if all they could think about was eating more, they pounced on each other, biting into the soft flesh and spraying stinking pus all around.
It was just one piece, one scene of the madness happening around. Bizarre creatures that did not yet have much self-awareness hid in the ruins of destroyed cities or angrily attacked everything that came into their field of vision, becoming stronger or dying. A man in long robes and carrying a lantern strolled calmly through endless battles and the rampage of animal passions. A self-confident smile was imprinted on his lips, as if painted on his face, she did not flinch even once. The hems of his robes stretched across the ground, they resembled those worn by the emperors of Chinese dynasties in ancient times, when humans still dominated the Earth.
A man with a monocle over his eye and a lamp in his hands walked through the former battlefield, stepping over rotting flesh, which in a couple of years should become a full—fledged sanguine race. He walked over to a small depression in the ground where an eight-legged demonic wolf was curled up sleeping, its fur dirty and its breathing shallow, as if it was on the verge of death. After looking at it for a while, the man snapped his fingers and a gray fog suddenly appeared in the depression.
A gleam of contentment flashed through the dark pupils, through which the light of the lantern did not pass. The first words came out of his mouth and his voice was as sweet as honey.
"As I thought, you're handsome enough to meet my aesthetic requirements. How about you serve me?"
As soon as the gray fog parted, instead of the dying eight-legged demonic wolf, there was a naked young man in the hollow. Like a puppet whose strings had been cut off, he sat on the ground, thoughtlessly staring at the sky, wanting to see something familiar, native there.… But it was empty and silent. There was not a flicker of awareness in the green of his eyes, not a grain of emotion from this realization, only humility. Thick black curls fell all the way to her feet, fluttering in the wind and tickling her body. The young man sitting there was very handsome. Was it because of the correct facial features or a certain femininity, popular in the 21st century among famous personalities?
But he still did not answer the man with the monocle in long robes. He tilted his head in thought. He didn't seem upset about being ignored.
"It's too late to look for someone else. There's still time to teach you everything.…"
Stretching out his hand, the man let a small flame slip from his long fingers. He slowly flew towards the depression in the ground, landing on the naked young man's chest.
The next moment, a cry of pain pierced the wasteland, which resembled the howl of a wounded beast.
The dark gaze watched as stripes appeared one after another on the pale skin, forming a certain pattern—an eye without a pupil and intertwined lines. It signified mystery and change. Two translucent droplets rolled down from the corners of the young man's eyes, and his mouth opened limply, unable to close back. His body trembled from the residual pain, as if his soul had been squeezed into a tight vice, never releasing them, only giving him time to get used to the new feeling of bondage.
"...although you don't have a choice."
A few years later, the First Era, which in the future would be called the Age of Chaos, came to an end with the compassion of Omebella, born from the Brood Hive, and the appearance of the first Ancient God, Aurmir.…
The countdown began until the time when the barrier around the Earth would fall, and the Lord of Mysteries fell into a deep sleep, leaving his only servant by his side, who continues to faithfully fulfill his intended mission.
The witness the beginning and the end of the world;
The wanderer carrying the embrace of peace;
The servant of the Ruler above the gray fog,
(Inaudible).
His name was erased by history... and revived in it again.
***
The wagons sped past the square located at the intersection of Iron Cross and Narcissa Streets. July was slowly creeping up, and with it came warmth and bright sunshine, which warmed tramps in worn-out rags and lovely ladies in light summer dresses. Children in worn, but still decent clothes crowded around the clown, who was cheerfully walking between the colored tents. In one of them there was a slightly pale young man, his face attracted with its scholarly features, it was rare in this area to meet a man who worked with his brains, not with his hands.
"Shuffle the cards again," said the woman, whose appearance suggested that she was a typical fortune teller from some TV show. At the very least, Zhou Mingrui wanted everything that was happening to him today to be one big prank. "Only by clearly stating the question, you will receive the necessary cards."
'Is she cheating on me? Is this crone really that petty? I've asked you several times if it's free!' The corner of Zhou Mingrui's mouth twitched. He took a deep breath, picked up the deck again, and shuffled it.:
"Is everything okay now?" He put the cards on the table.
"Yes," the woman's deep and mysterious voice mingled with the soft clatter of wheels and noise outside the tent. Her finger traced the card's shirt, she placed it to Zhou Mingrui's left and lowered her voice, almost whispering. "This card is your past."
The fortune teller took the second and third cards, which showed the present and the future, and placed them in front of the young man. He held his breath in this magical atmosphere, afraid that the prediction would really come true and there really was something mystical in this world, but at the same time, he remained skeptical.
"Which card do you want to see first?"
Zhou Mingrui already had the answer to this question. He knew his past very well, and the future seemed too far away, so…
"The present comes first."
...he wanted to know what was happening to him now. The fortune teller nodded slowly and turned over the card that was right in front of him.
The card showed a naked woman covered by a snow-white veil. She held two wands in her hands, and a wreath encircled her dancing figure against the sky. There was a number "22" in the corner of the card.
"The World," said the fortune teller, without taking her eyes off Zhou Mingrui.
'The world? The last card in the Tarot? The end of the life cycle and the beginning of a new life?'
To be honest, he didn't really like this card, because if he interpreted it himself, it meant that he would never return to his world, like the hero of a hit novel. But they were unhappy in their homeland, while Zhou Mingrui had good relations with family, friends, work... At the moment when the fortune teller wanted to say something, the tent flap abruptly opened. Bright sunlight flooded in, and Zhou Mingrui, who was sitting with his back to the entrance, instinctively squinted.
"Why are you impersonating me again? Fortune—telling is my job!" An angry female voice rang out: "And you take care of yours, trainer!"
"Trainer," Zhou Mingrui's eyes adjusted to the light and he saw a woman in the same pointed hat and black dress, her face covered with yellow and red paint. The only difference was that she was slimmer.
The woman sitting in front of him immediately jumped up and babbled,
"Don't pay attention, I just like doing it! But, you know, sometimes my predictions turn out to be very accurate, I'm serious..." she picked up the hem of her dress, walked around the table and hurriedly slipped out of the tent.
"Do you want me to explain the cards to you, mister?" The real fortune teller asked with a smile.
Zhou Mingrui trembled and asked sincerely,
"Is it free?"
"...No."
He put his hands in his pockets, squeezed the revolver and the money, got up and left.
In front of him, a crowded street once again spread out, in which not a shadow of a modern city could be seen. Before that, the pleasant sun, which was almost lulling with its warmth, was now annoying, it illuminated passers-by in fancy clothes, low buildings and carriages with horses passing by. Zhou Mingrui refrained from sitting down in the middle of the square and throwing a tantrum, cursing something that had separated him from his family and sent him here. With his fingers, he squeezed the paper bag containing the bread, a clue to his return, and in his thoughts there was only dissatisfaction with the recent situation.
'Damn it! So it was the trainer pretending to be a fortune teller? Isn't a trainer who wants to guess worse than a bad clown?'
At the Salad and Meat market, he spent 7 pence on a pound of not the best mutton, then bought beans, cabbage, onions, potatoes and other products. Together with the bread purchased earlier, the total amount was 25 copper pennies or 2 salt and 1 penny.
"Money is sorely lacking. Poor Benson..." Zhou Mingrui not only spent all the money he brought with him, but also had to add 1 penny from his own pocket.
He sighed and, without hesitation, went home. Now, with the necessary products, it was possible to perform a ritual to enhance luck!
The young man was walking past passersby, trying to ignore the European appearance, the strange clothes, the architecture around him... He was watching his wallet when he returned to the street where the Moretti family lived, including the man whose body he fell into. The sun never seemed to rise on it, oppressive darkness covered all the windows, and the women sitting at them, who were engaged in weaving goods for sale, looked dejected. The putrid smell emanating from the buildings has permeated the walls for decades and will remain unless the local government decides to demolish the entire street.
Entering one of these foul-smelling buildings, Zhou Mingrui climbed the creaking stairs, hearing the residents moving around their rooms, getting ready for business. When he entered the Moretti family's apartment, he closed the flimsy door and pressed his back against it.
A sigh escaped him.
Zhou Mingrui was in no hurry to perform the luck enhancement ritual. It was only when all the neighbors on the second floor had left that he finished translating all the phrases from the ritual into Lohen and Feysak, doubting that in this world the entities he was calling out to would understand Chinese. Klein Moretti, whose body he temporarily occupied, had a meager vocabulary of Hermes, the ancient ritual language, so he did not take the risk and translated into it.
After preparing everything, he took out four loaves of rye bread. He put one in the corner where the coal stove originally stood, another under the mirror, another on the cabinet, and the fourth in the right side of the worktable, where various items were stored. When he was done, he stood in the center of the room and looked down at the wooden floor. It has been less than a day since he found himself in this world, and very soon he will have a chance to leave it. He even wanted to mock those hitmen from the anime who hadn't achieved such success in a few years... Calming his heart racing with excitement and trembling in his hands, Zhou Mingrui took a step forward and walked counterclockwise, pacing a square.
At every step, he chanted a prayer to an unknown entity,
"The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings!" the second step," The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings!" the third step." The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…"
On the fourth, he tensed up"
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings!"
Zhou Mingrui stopped in the middle of the room, holding his breath. Seconds passed, but nothing changed, and my heart was squeezed by the grip of disappointment and fragile hope that were inherent in every person in a difficult situation. Thoughts were swarming in my head about whether this ritual had worked or not, whether there would be at least some effect.…
Then his vision faded. Psychedelic images appeared before my eyes, burning with their saturation and making my head spin from the abnormality of what I saw. And mysterious whispers poured into his ears, Zhou Mingrui felt as if someone was talking, pressing against his ear and tickling his eardrums, but at the same time the voice was indistinct. He was curious about what was being said to him.
But after a couple of seconds, the pain became so acute, as if he had been hit on the head with a heavy stone. He couldn't see where he was, couldn't feel the floor beneath him or the caressing breeze that could orient him. Just bright images in front of my eyes and the whiteness surrounding them. Zhou Mingrui squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for his death and cursing that he was not one of those main characters in the novels who get away with any dangerous situation.…
'If you hadn't been looking for death, you wouldn't have found it...'
He couldn't stand the headache and the dizziness that were overlapping each other anymore. But when he reached his limit, everything abruptly quieted down, and something cool and soothing touched his hands. Zhou Mingrui opened his reddened eyes, finding himself in the middle of a gray fog that stretched in all directions. There was no end in sight. It flowed somewhere into the distance, like a river, and above it spread scarlet stars that could not illuminate the dense darkness of this place.
It all looked creepy, much scarier than Klein Moretti's room in the light of an unfamiliar scarlet moon or those psychedelic pictures. After looking around a bit, Zhou Mingrui thought in his mind:
'What's going on?'
He confusedly reached out to the scarlet star in front of him, which radiated a pleasant warmth. But as soon as his fingertips touched it, Zhou Mingrui staggered back and brushed against another star in a panic, watching the pattern appear on it, followed by a bright light that flooded the entire space with gray fog. The young man squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his mind empty and his soul dissipated.
***
A gray mist lay on the floor, surrounding the luxuriously furnished room, furnished in a style unfamiliar to all five Eras. The double bed was covered with a canopy, with only one side offering a view of the figure lying peacefully on it. A man in a priest's cassock was sitting on the floor, his head covered with a dark veil that fell down his back along with long black hair. He lay down in the crook of his elbow, holding someone else's cold hand in his own, and during all this time he did not utter a word, as if dozing off.
At the door, which consisted of bizarre maggots curled up in a ring, the figure of an animal floated out. It was a wolf with thick black fur, its mouth was stretched wide, giving the impression that it was smiling, and instead of eyes there were two scarlet lights. Despite its menacing appearance, the hound ran up to the bed and sat down by it, rubbing its head against the man sprawled on the floor.
"I'm not sleeping, Ah-Ming."
The hound howled and grabbed someone else's robe with its fangs, pulling on it. Holding back a sigh, the man with the veil looked at the sleeper, who did not wake up despite the noise, and then reluctantly uncoupled their hands. Her long and cold fingers fell limply onto the gold-embroidered blanket until she was placed on someone else's stomach. For a while, watching the serene face, decorated with a monocle even in a dream, the man took a lantern from the bedside table and headed out of the room. Ming followed him.
'In this Era, His sleep has become even deeper. It doesn't match His prediction...'
Feeling the excitement from the man, the hound rubbed against the hems of his long robes and ran forward, wagging its tail playfully. Her scarlet eyes, which shone in a thick gray fog, did not allow her to lose her way and lose Ming. Together with the man, they walked into the void, their path illuminated by a small lantern, the flame in which remained steady.
The two figures disappeared into the mist, as if swallowed up by it.
***
When Zhou Mingrui's vision cleared, two figures, a man and a woman, appeared a few meters away from him, looking around in disbelief. Their faces were obscured by fog and it was impossible to see them, but wariness and fear could be read in their restrained movements.
"Sir, where are we?" asked Audrey Hall and Alger Wilson at the same time, who were suddenly drawn into this place. "What are you planning to do?"
Both strangers spoke the Loen language, which was familiar to Klein Moretti, and therefore to Zhou Mingrui. The two of them stared at the young man standing a little way away, waiting for an answer and being on their guard.
'Where am I? What do I plan to do? I would also like to know this,' the young man calmed down and quietly repeated these questions to himself.
Judging by their reactions, it was the first time both the man and the woman had encountered something as abnormal as being dragged into an unknown space. And as the culprit of all this, Zhou Mingrui was a little confused, but at the same time, two strategies quickly appeared in his head: pretend to be the same victim of circumstances and find a way out of the situation with them, or maintain the mystery around his personality.
He chose the latter option, thinking that this way he would have a winning position, allowing him to influence the other side in order to extract information. He was about to open his mouth when someone else's footsteps sounded in the distance.
Was there someone else here..? But it can't be!
Frantically remembering that he had only touched two scarlet stars, which most likely summoned Audrey and Alger, Zhou Mingrui turned towards the steps with the others, afraid to run into the real owner of this place. Was this the higher self that he invoked in the luck enhancement ritual?
The Celestial Worthy of the Blessings of Heaven and Earth…
In the distance, a dim light appeared that outlined a human figure. A stranger in dark robes and a veil hiding his face walked through the fog with a lantern in his hands, jewelry glittering on his chest and head, contrasting with a modest monk's robe. His whole figure radiated mystery, as well as a desire to bow his head, which was out of the bounds of reason. Next to him was a creature resembling a wolf, whose scarlet eyes looked directly at the three intruders, it seemed that he was ready to pounce on them, but only walked humbly next to his master.
Three pairs of eyes watched the approaching man without moving, as if time itself had frozen. Finally, the stranger stopped along with the echo of footsteps and looked around at everyone present. When he finished, he opened his mouth and everyone subconsciously tensed up.
"Children... it's quite dangerous to walk in the gray fog. You can get lost between epochs."
His voice sounded like a gentle lullaby that caressed the anxious hearts of everyone present, giving them peace. It didn't seem like he was suppressing their wariness by force, rather, it was like they were walking through this endless fog and suddenly Mom appeared out of it, gently taking their hand in her warm palm. Having put his thoughts in order, as the oldest of those present, Alger was the first to notice the strange address to them. Children… He frowned.
Suddenly, the stranger cast a barely noticeable glance at Zhou Mingrui, and he froze in place, as if nailed. A new wave of calm and warmth enveloped him, and the gray mist caressing his palms no longer bothered him.
"But since you've come here, you can stay longer. It would be rude to make the guests stand."
He waved his wide sleeve and the whole space shook. With a roar, tall stone pillars rose out of the mist, covering thin cracks that formed into a spider web. They surrounded a long bronze table with 22 seats, whose backs shone with a scarlet light, mysterious patterns were drawn on them, which were incomprehensible. The hound was the first to run to its place, followed by a veiled stranger who continued to hold a lantern in his hand. The three people trapped in this space looked at each other and went to their seats.
Audrey sat down on the right side of the place of honor, where the stranger was located.
Alger sat down on the left side of the place of honor.
And Zhou Mingrui sat down opposite the stranger, further away from everyone else.
The hound lay down, resting its muzzle on its folded paws, and the light in its empty eye sockets went out. The stranger, who could be seen as a man with a rather attractive face, judging by his pointed chin and plump red lips, barely visible through the fog, sat down rather relaxed, leaning his head back on his hand, and then putting his feet on the table, shocking the lady of high society, Audrey Hall, with this action.
'Could that mean something?'
The girl's gaze turned to the peacefully asleep hound that was less than a meter away from her. She looked so mysterious and mysterious that, if there was a chance, Audrey would like to ask her father to put one of them in the Hall Estate.
"I'm sorry… But what kind of bizarre creature is this? Can it make friends with ordinary dogs?"
"They are called hounds of Fulgrim, they are the faithful guardians of this place," the answer came immediately, and the voice was pleasant to the ear and slow, like a lecturer who was happy to explain some discipline to a young girl. "They live in a historical void and do not leave it unnecessarily. But if you want, you can play with them later."
Upon hearing that the owner had promised to play with her, the hound waved its bushy tail without opening its eyes, and also let out a satisfied guttural howl, which greatly amazed Audrey. It was as if the girl saw a beautiful painting at an exhibition that came to life at will and appeared in front of her.
This further inspired her to enter the incredible Beyounder world!
"It's such a wonderful experience... yes, I always hoped that something like this would happen. I like mysteries and supernatural wonders. No, I think not.… I'd like to know, sir, what I can do to become Beyounder."
Zhou Mingrui was watching everyone carefully from the opposite side of the table. When he heard the unfamiliar term, he continued to listen curiously, rejoicing that this strange man had appeared and saved him from pretending to be a mysterious entity and the owner of this place.
The man sitting at the head of the table mumbled in a velvety voice, and then asked:
"Which Beyounder Path do you like?"
"What?"
Audrey was a little embarrassed. Even though she knew more about the Beyounder than her aristocratic friends, she still lacked a lot of knowledge. But under the gaze of the supreme being, which was hidden behind a dark veil and slightly intimidated by the unknown, she could not utter a word. Alger came to the rescue.
"There are 22 Beyounder Paths in total, most of them are controlled by churches or the royal family. For example, in the church of the Evernght Goddess there are formulas for the Sleepless Pathway, in the church of the Lord of Storms—the the Sailor and the Sun Pathways, in the church of the God of Steam and Machines—the Paragon Pathway. In fact, there are more of them, but the information is classified."
"Oh, I see," Audrey thought a little, choosing from those that were listed. "The the Sleepless Pathway, hmm... that sounds useful..."
But still, the girl was plagued by doubts. Even she, with her limited knowledge, understood that she would not be able to change her Beyounder Path, so she had to choose wisely. An unknown man watching her lazily put his hand into his wide sleeve, and then pulled out a card that floated above the table. The face depicted on it shocked everyone present except Zhou Mingrui and the man with the veil.
"Is this Emperor Roselle?!" Audrey exclaimed in surprise.
The face of Emperor Intis, who lived two centuries ago, was depicted on the card. He sat on the throne with a straight face, and a sword and scales were placed in his palms. His blue eyes were as dispassionate as those of a judge who was passing sentence. In the corner was the number "11", the Tarot card of Justice. Zhou Mingrui, who was watching these incredible wonders, heard a name familiar to Klein's memories, Rosella Gustav.
"Before his death, this child created 22 blasphemous cards. Don't worry, this is just a historical projection of one of them," he let Justice land in Audrey's hands." Based on your needs, the Spectator Pathway suits you better. The 9th sequence potion will allow you to become more observant and your mind sharper."
Sparkles danced in the girl's emerald eyes. Spectator and observation… It really sounded great! His fingers ran over the card with the image of Emperor Roselle with a sword and scales, and then Justice slowly disappeared, as if it had disappeared into the mist. Without thinking about how this great being found out about her status as an aristocrat, Audrey folded her hands in front of her face and said with a pious face,
"The Spectator… May I know where to get a potion for this Pathway?"
Before the mysterious stranger could speak again, Alger intervened. He suspected that the entity that appeared before them could be an evil God who wanted to charm them with his miracles and lead them into his faith. He didn't want the innocent girl in front of him to suffer from her ignorance. It was his duty as an official Beyounder.
"I have a formula for the 9th sequence. If you don't mind, I could sell it to you."
"Oh, thank you! What can I offer you for it?"
"Ghost shark blood. At least one hundred milliliters."
Watching as the people he had dragged out were already making a deal, Zhou Mingrui analyzed everything that had been said and highlighted the most important thing about this world. Firstly, there were 22 Beyounder Paths that could grant different abilities, and most of them are controlled by churches. It seems like religion had a lot of power here? According to Klein's memories, the Moretti family believed in the Evernight Goddess. Secondly, his move here was due to the great entity that was on the other side of the table, and if Zhou Mingrui hadn't imagined it, he decided to detain the three of them in this place after they crossed eyes... did the stranger know him? Thirdly, the famous reformer Emperor Rozella created blasphemous cards… No, he decided not to think about it yet. It was too difficult with his knowledge.
When Audrey and Alger finished their conversation, Zhou Mingrui decided to take a chance. Raising his hand and attracting the attention of others, he tried to ask in as calm a voice as possible,
"Which Pathway would you recommend to choose in my situation?"
To be honest, he was very afraid. But if everything goes well, Zhou Mingrui will learn new names of Beyonder Pathways, and will also receive a personal recommendation from the great entity that has already helped the girl. And yet... he was wondering if the man at the head of the table would see him as a hitman or not. Zhou Mingrui licked his dry lips.
The veiled man watching him stared at his figure for a while, remaining silent. Only half a minute later, he opened his mouth and his charming voice echoed off the tall columns, gently flowing into the ears of those sitting at the table.
"3 Pathways are most suitable for you: Seer, Marauder and Apprentice. In the future, they will open up new opportunities and advantages for you, unlike others," after a moment's thought, he added, "Very soon you will have the opportunity to drink a potion."
As if taking into account the fact that Alger had interrupted him earlier, the stranger didn't say anything else.
'And there won't be any lecture?!'
Zhou Mingrui refrained from being indignant. Unlike Audrey, he wasn't shown these blasphemous cards, or even explained the specifics of each of these three Pathways.… They didn't even look like each other in name, so how could they be suitable for him?! But still, he didn't ask any more questions, only thanking her dryly. His limbs were weak from the stress and relaxation that came with it.
Silence hung in the space above the gray fog. Audrey and Zhou Mingrui had already asked their questions, while Alger was in no hurry to remain in debt to the supposed evil God. The mysterious stranger himself remained quiet and hardly moved, as if he had dozed off. Clapping her hands, the girl addressed everyone:
"I am very glad to come to such a meeting for the first time, it was pleasant and interesting for me to learn a lot of new things from you. What do you think about organizing such meetings from time to time?"
Alger and Zhou Mingrui thought deeply about this issue, analyzing all the advantages and disadvantages of such meetings. The sailor did not want to get involved with a strange great entity, who was familiar with the activities of cults firsthand, but he could not leave two ordinary people alone with a mysterious stranger. Besides, as a half-blood, he couldn't rise high in the church of the Lord of Storms, so Alger had long been thinking about how he could raise his rank on his own. The lady sitting in front of him looked wealthy enough, he could sell her a lot of knowledge in exchange for money or potion materials. Zhou Mingrui thought along the same lines, hoping that the risk would pay off.
While they were thinking, the mysterious stranger seemed to be on the same wavelength with the girl. He nodded slowly and said,
"You can use this place for your small meetings and me as an observer for transactions, just like today."
"Sir, thank you!" When she didn't see any objections from the two men, Audrey suddenly became thoughtful. "Then shouldn't we come up with code names for each other? For Example... the names of the Tarot Cards?"
Audrey thought of that blasphemous card with Emperor Roselle. It occurred to her that the names of the cards on which the sequences were written were better suited than anything else for the nicknames of the members of the meeting for the Beyounder. The girl's heart was beating in anticipation.
"Sounds good," Alger replied. "Which card would you choose, miss?"
"The Justice," Audrey replied without hesitation.
"Then I'll take the Hanged Man."
Both eyes turned to Zhou Mingrui, who was quieter and more wary than anyone else trapped in this space. He folded his hands on the table, tapping the bronze surface with his index finger. Name of the Tarot card… Did that fortune-telling this morning predict this event? Zhou Mingrui shook his head, writing it off as a coincidence.
"The World," he replied, his voice a little hoarse with excitement.
Finally, there was only one person left without his code name. It would be extremely rude to call the great entity whatever she wanted, but Audrey had already soaked in warm feelings for the mysterious stranger, despite the fact that they had known each other for less than half an hour. She turned to him with a cheeky smile, asking,
"Sir, do you mind choosing one of the Tarot cards too?"
The veiled man thought for a while before his velvety voice spread through the hall,
"I've had many names... if you want, you can call me the new one from now on, little Justice."
A little surprised that a stranger would address her like that, she still didn't think much of it. Looking around the bronze table, she noticed that Mr. World was sitting opposite the man with the veil, and his card was the last of the higher arcana…
"Then what about the Fool?"
The man nodded.
Their newfound gathering came to an end, and Mr. Fool waved his hand, allowing the scarlet glow to embrace their figures and return to the real world. Remembering the headache of coming here, Zhou Minggrui clutched the stone throne under his hands and squeezed his eyes shut, but surprisingly nothing happened. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he was standing in the middle of the kitchen, which was shrouded in semi-darkness. Not noticing anything suspicious, the young man sighed, sitting down on a chair and massaging his temples.
Beyounder…
Blasphemous cards…
The the Seer, the Marauder, and the Apprentice Pathways…
Mr. Fool…
There was too much that needed to be put into his mind after the meeting. But first of all, covering his face with his hands, Zhou Mingrui hid the view of an unfamiliar room from himself. It turned out that returning home was not as easy as he first thought.…