Chapter 82: Knowledge Pursues

Chapter 82: Knowledge Pursues

As Klein’s spirituality made contact, the swelling and contracting crimson star displayed the images and sounds it contained.

A black-haired woman in a classical robe lay on the floor, writhing in pain and distortion.

In one hand she clutched what appeared to be an ordinary astrolabe. In the other she tightly gripped a short scepter less than a forearm long. Her intense desire to survive nearly broke through the crimson star’s restraint and entered Klein’s ears directly.

Like Justice, The Sun, and the others, the woman’s figure looked rather blurry, making it difficult to identify her exact appearance. Yet certain things could still be seen clearly by Klein. For example, she had facial features. The muscles of her cheeks were splitting apart, and the flesh and blood inside condensed as though becoming eyeballs. Her ears stretched outward, expanding like horns. Her fingers scraped one distinct bloody mark after another across the floor. Above her hovered a pair of cold, emotionless, lashless, nearly transparent eyes.

The black-haired woman’s mutation did not keep worsening. Her body was stubbornly repairing itself, dissolving the eyeball-like flesh and blood, fusing the split muscles, retracting the outward-stretching ears… Every detail repeated in a tug-of-war.

Those illusory, transparent, lashless eyes left Klein momentarily dazed, as if he had returned to Tingen, to the time when he had first learned spirit vision.

Back then, he had seen such a pair of eyes behind Old Neil!

“The Hidden Sage?” Klein leaned back against the chair and reached out, grasping the Sea God Scepter that once again flew from the pile of miscellaneous items.

He intended to help while he was at it, striking those sinister eyes with several bolts of lightning.

But after carefully distinguishing the situation, he keenly realized that the black-haired woman’s abnormality originated from mad ravings that no one else could hear. Everything began in the ears, deep within the spirit body, and upon the mental body.

It is very similar to Miss Magician suffering from the full moon ravings… Thank goodness I have experience, or I might have responded incorrectly… As Klein’s thoughts turned, he already knew how to save her: pull the other party’s spirit body above the gray fog and directly block the mad ravings. As long as there was no longer power from the source, the woman’s body would soon resolve the mutation through its self-repairing instinct.

As for whether the other party deserved rescue, whether she held malice, and similar questions, Klein was no longer as troubled as he had once been.

If the black-haired woman was deeply sinful, then since she had already established a connection with the mysterious space above the gray fog through an item and a crimson star, Klein could strike her with several bolts of lightning at any moment and send her where she deserved to go.

If she truly held malice, or if some accident might occur, Klein, who possessed the Sea God Scepter, the Black Emperor card, and could initially pry open the power of the gray fog, was not incapable of resisting… Holding the white-bone scepter in his right hand, Klein pointed from afar at the corresponding star.

His spirituality surged suddenly, pouring into the watery crimson light.

This time, he quite easily established a mysterious and stable connection.

The black-haired woman’s figure instantly appeared beside the bronze long table, seated in a high-backed chair that did not belong to any current Tarot Club member.

And through the last scene displayed by the crimson star, Klein saw that her body’s mutation had already clearly weakened.

He nodded almost imperceptibly and patiently waited for the other party to speak.

The black-haired woman remained rather dazed. One second, she had still been struggling in extreme pain, her vision gradually blackening. The next, she had come to a majestic palace with a high dome, beneath which spread boundless, quiet gray fog without end. How could she not be stunned?

After a short silence, she looked toward the leisurely figure seated at the head of the mottled long table and asked in a drifting tone, “Is this the underworld?”

“You are not dead.” Klein laughed softly.

At that moment, he saw the star-stained symbol behind the black-haired woman’s high-backed chair rapidly move, forming a pair of cold, indifferent, lashless eyes that contained countless brilliant stars.

Based on past experience, he believed this represented the Mystery Pryer pathway.

The black-haired woman froze, then gradually regained her reason.

Instinctively and quietly, she looked around, finally placing her gaze on the mysterious man shrouded in gray fog.

White shirt, tailcoat, no bow tie, black trousers, gleaming leather boots. His hair was somewhat black, his face blurry. There was nothing strange there… He casually holds a milky-white scepter slightly longer than an arm. That scepter… The black-haired woman’s pupils contracted. Reflected deep in her eyes were blue-green “gems” and the aura of seas and storms that nearly stirred everything around them. In addition, the countless specks of light floating around it naturally gave one a sacred and majestic feeling.

This is a demigod-level scepter! And in his hand, it is like a toy… He does not care about it at all… The black-haired woman narrowed her eyes slightly and cautiously asked, “How should I address you?”

“You may call me Mr. Fool,” Klein answered with practiced ease.

The Fool… The black-haired woman chewed over the word, then cautiously said, “I have heard Your honorific name from Mr. Z of the Aurora Order.”

She waited for an admission or denial.

She knows Mr. Z of the Aurora Order… He really can be considered an old friend… Klein smiled but gave no answer. Instead, he said, “Do you not intend to introduce yourself?

“That is the most basic etiquette.”

Only then did the black-haired woman recall what had just happened to her. She fell silent again.

After several seconds, her voice slightly heavy, she said, “My name is Cattleya. I have the nickname Admiral of Stars.

“Mr. Fool, was it You who saved me?”

Admiral of Stars? One of the seven pirate admirals, Admiral of Stars, with a bounty of 37,000 pounds? I saved a treasure—no, a person of significant status… Klein half changed his posture, half surprised and half amused.

He chuckled in response. “Is that not obvious?”

Admiral of Stars Cattleya immediately stood and said, “Thank You for Your rescue. If there is anything You need me to do, You may command me directly, as long as it lies within my ability and does not violate my principles.”

She really knows how to handle herself… Sophisticated and experienced… As expected of Admiral of Stars, whose reputation has been widespread for years… Klein inexplicably felt a little wistful.

Among the Tarot Club members, aside from The Hanged Man and his own avatar The World, everyone had been quite inexperienced when first joining.

Miss Justice had known a little about the mysterious world but had not truly stepped into it. The Sun had enough “education,” but his environment was closed off and he was still young, making him very honest. Miss Magician had been a Beyonder for years, but had remained at Sequence 9 in a completely wild state, knowing little about various secrets or organizations and possessing only limited experience. The Moon, Emlyn, came from a supernatural race and had a powerful faction behind him, yet because he disliked going out and preferred staying at home to play with dolls, he was very inexperienced in certain respects and was easily deceived.

That fellow Emlyn is smart, yes, but still… heh. If he encountered Trissy—no, Trissy Cheek, that Demoness—he might be tricked into selling his dolls… Klein teased inwardly about the vampire gentleman who could be counted as a friend in the real world.

Looking at Admiral of Stars, he did not directly respond to the matter of repaying the lifesaving favor. Instead, he smiled and asked, “Are you a member of the Moses Ascetic Order?”

“Yes.” Cattleya did not think this was something she could hide from Mr. Fool.

Klein smiled.

“What did you do just now to provoke that fellow?”

He was not certain that the pair of eyes earlier truly belonged to the Hidden Sage, so he used the vague phrase “that fellow” instead. That way, no matter the truth, Mr. Fool would remain absolutely correct and dignified.

Cattleya fell silent for a moment.

“No. I did not provoke Him.”

After a pause, she continued, “Members of the Moses Ascetic Order all believe that everything is number, and pursue knowledge itself.

“But Emperor Roselle once said that we are not pursuing knowledge. Knowledge is pursuing us. The Hidden Sage is knowledge itself. He pursues us—every member of the Moses Ascetic Order. When too much knowledge pours in and cannot be quickly digested and mastered, the situation just now occurs. Either one opens the defenses of one’s mind and accepts the Hidden Sage’s transformation, or one endures with willpower. If one fails to endure it, one loses control.”

So that is how it is. She was not specifically targeted by the Hidden Sage. Even if she successfully escapes the situation just now, she will not be suspected of anything… Based on what she says, she has mastered quite a lot of knowledge… Back then, Old Neil had originally only wanted the knowledge of human-body creation and perfect resurrection… Klein suddenly felt wistful, though he did not show it on his face.

Admiral of Stars has a decent reputation, the kind of thief with a code… Klein gathered his thoughts and said calmly, “If you encounter something similar again, you may recite my name.”

Recite your name… Cattleya’s lips moved a few times. Instinctively, she wanted to refuse.

In the end, she did not speak and remained silent for a long while.

After repeated consideration and weighing, she stood, crossed her arms over her chest, and bowed slightly.

“What may I do for You?”

Klein laughed softly and spoke in a tone that suggested he cared little.

“In the future, provide some help to my Blessed.”

“I shall follow Your will.” Cattleya sat again and asked cautiously, “Does the honorific name provided by Mr. Z belong to You?”

She immediately repeated The Fool’s honorific name.

Klein nodded lightly, indicating that it was correct.

Cattleya glanced at the other empty seats and, after consideration, asked, “Honorable Mr. Fool, are there others here?”

Klein smiled.

“Some people similar to you.

“They have established a regular gathering, and I am the witness.”

Cattleya remained silent for a full dozen seconds before saying, “May I participate?”

Since she had become connected with this mysterious existence called The Fool, she believed it was clearly better to learn more than to do nothing.

Of course. You have money, knowledge, influence, and needs… Klein leaned leisurely against the back of his chair.

“You may.

“Without my permission, you must not reveal this place to anyone.”

“Understood!” Cattleya answered without the slightest hesitation.

Klein tapped his left index finger, causing the remaining Tarot cards to materialize upon the bronze long table.

“They use Tarot cards as code names. These are what remain.

“Choose one.”

Cattleya swept her gaze over them and answered directly, “The Hermit.”