Chapter 89: Great Pressure

Chapter 89: Great Pressure

Audrey briefly mentioned that ancient ballad, but she did not recite its exact contents. She was afraid that Madam Hermit, who seemed highly knowledgeable, might infer the specific region from it.

She merely described how it had inspired her to remain lucid within a dream through “psychological suggestion,” and how that had begun a very fantastical journey.

Psychological suggestion? She knows how to perform psychological suggestion? She should be a Sequence 7 Psychiatrist… The Hermit Cattleya instinctively made that judgment, but immediately developed a deeper doubt:

“Then why does she still want to buy a Psychiatrist Beyonder characteristic?

“Taking the same potion repeatedly brings limited improvement, easily leads to loss of control, and obstructs the digestion of the potion…

“To make a mystical item? But that overlaps with her own Beyonder powers and would not have much practical value.

“To give to someone else?”

While Cattleya speculated, Audrey had already described how, through her chaotic dream, she arrived at the edge of her own consciousness. Then, using the “materialization method” she had learned here from Mr. Fool, she created a staircase leading downward, step by step entering the region of her own subconscious that resembled an iceberg beneath the water.

She did not describe in detail the various subconscious light points she had seen, because they involved secrets that she was unwilling or ashamed to tell others.

Instead, she focused on that extreme oppressive feeling—the loneliness, the endless length of the journey, the inability to find a goal, and the sense that monsters seemed to lurk within the surrounding grayness. She mentioned that her emotions had several times approached collapse, and that she had barely supported herself by relying on her own extraordinary abilities, finally reaching the illusory ocean formed from the collective subconscious of all living beings.

Imprints of memories from humanity’s ancestors, and the projections and spread of various nearby creatures’ consciousness, appeared in Audrey’s account in an orderly, unhurried manner. Then the story froze upon the dragon that had flown through the sea of collective subconscious, covered in scales like gray stone.

There is actually a dragon living inside the ocean of collective subconscious? What a marvelous, magnificent journey! Although Miss Justice did not encounter any enemies or danger, it still gives me a dreamlike feeling… A book title abruptly flashed through The Magician Fors’s mind:

Miss Justice’s Dream Travelogue.

At the end of her account, Justice Audrey looked around and asked, “Ladies and gentlemen, do you have any suggestions? Do you believe that the dragons’ City of Miracles, Liveseyd, is also hidden within this sea of collective subconscious?

“If I wish to continue exploring, what should I pay attention to? What should I prepare in advance?”

The Hanged Man Alger glanced at The Hermit, pondered for a moment, and said, “I do not believe you should continue exploring.

“This is an extremely dangerous act.

“According to records, the vast majority of dragons are living creatures of flesh and blood, and that includes mind dragons. For one to be able to survive within, and travel through, the so-called sea of collective subconscious belonging to all living beings, it means the dragon you saw has a sufficiently high Sequence. It may even have reached the level of a demigod.

“Before you reach Sequence 5, do not consider this matter.”

The Hermit Cattleya nodded and said, “Within the sea of collective subconscious, there are many other dangerous things. Humanity’s accumulated malice, various desires that corrode the spirit body, and terrifying memories from ancient times are like storms and waves upon a real ocean. They can inflict serious psychological trauma on you, and may even prevent you from ever waking again.

“Moreover, that is the collective subconscious sea of all living beings, not only of humans. Perhaps certain evil spirits, certain evil gods, or the consciousness of certain terrifying existences are also hidden there, like enormous vortices capable of swallowing ships.

“Before you truly obtain Beyonder powers that allow you to walk through the sea of collective subconscious, do not rashly conduct deeper exploration.”

Audrey, who had been full of anticipation, felt a wave of disappointment. Yet she had no choice but to admit that Mr. Hanged Man and Madam Hermit made very reasonable and sincere points.

She inhaled soundlessly and said to herself:

“Audrey, do not be willful. Wait until you reach Sequence 5 before trying again!”

She did not consider at all how difficult becoming Sequence 5 would be. At that level, one could even compete for the position of one of the seven pirate admirals upon the sea—or turn the seven into eight.

In Audrey’s view, with Mr. Fool and the Tarot Club present, as long as she remained cautious, calm, and peaceful, and did not recklessly take risks, she should be able to reach that level smoothly within one or two years.

Only the gate to the half-god and half-human level would be truly difficult to push open!

Madam Hermit knows a lot and is very learned… With her final thread of hope, Justice Audrey looked toward Mr. Fool seated at the head of the bronze long table, hoping that this deity-level existence could provide advice different from Mr. Hanged Man and Madam Hermit.

Do not look at me… I do not understand this! Klein did his best not to let his gaze flicker.

His understanding of consciousness, the subconscious, and the collective subconscious still remained at the theory described by Spirit Medium Daly. He had no deeper knowledge. In the past, when people invaded his dreams, once he became lucid again, he had never thought of exploring the world beyond the dream. How was he supposed to offer Miss Justice advice?

In truth, he did have a natural idea regarding this matter, but it had not been verified, and he did not know whether it would work.

If this had been in the past, when he lacked confidence, he could still have given a vague side remark or two. But now that Admiral of Stars Cattleya was sitting nearby and watching, saying more meant making more mistakes, saying less meant making fewer mistakes, and saying nothing meant making no mistakes.

This new member really does bring tremendous pressure… The Fool Klein sighed inwardly and did not speak, keeping his gaze filled with an indistinct smile.

If he had not been above the gray fog and existing in spirit body form, he suspected that acting at this difficulty would have made the muscles around his eyes cramp.

Mr. Fool has no suggestion… Audrey withdrew her gaze, a little downcast, no longer fantasizing about exploring the sea of collective subconscious as soon as possible.

At that moment, The Moon Emlyn, who had long since been unable to wait, cleared his throat and said, “I seriously studied the history passed down among us Blood Clan…”

Blood Clan… As expected, he is a vampire… Raising vampires and pulling vampires into the Church really is a tradition of the Church of the Earth Mother… The Hermit Cattleya nodded as though listening attentively.

At the same time, she felt that one of her understandings might need adjustment:

“The Moon openly revealed his identity… Does this mean that Mr. Fool possesses great deterrence in the outside world as well, so the members are not afraid of leaking information?

“Perhaps I do not need to hide my own situation completely…”

Emlyn paused, turned his head toward The Sun, lifted his chin, and said, “Before the Cataclysm, there was no City of Silver. There was only the Nation of Silver!”

Had anyone else raised this challenge, The Sun Derrick would certainly have rushed to explain that the people of the City of Silver were the descendants of the Nation of Silver, and that he had not lied. But after glancing at Mr. Moon and sensing the other party’s smugness, Derrick turned his head to the other side, unwilling to explain.

Why should I make this arrogant, conceited vampire, who refuses to acknowledge the City of Silver’s history, believe me? he thought gloomily.

From his reaction, Emlyn saw that the City of Silver indeed had a connection to the Nation of Silver. He clicked his tongue and said, “The Nation of Silver did not originally believe in the Giant King Aurmir, but in His queen, Omebella.”

Omebella? The Sun Derrick turned his head back and blurted out, “Our City of Silver has no record of this, nor do we have any record that the Giant Queen was named Omebella.”

Emlyn immediately chuckled and spread his hands.

“So, I was not wrong when I said that the City of Silver’s history has omissions and missing pieces, yes?

“Obviously, the history of the Blood Clan that you recorded contains errors.”

…You went in a circle just to prove this? Should I call you a vampire with clear logic, or one who really holds grudges? Klein held back his amusement and stopped himself from looking at Emlyn White.

The dispute between The Moon and The Sun brought him no small gain. He now knew that the Giant Queen, the Goddess of Harvest, was named Omebella.

The Sun Derrick was about to refute Mr. Moon when he heard Madam Hermit speak:

“Omebella was the Goddess of Harvest of the Second Epoch, and also the queen of the Giant King’s Court.

“Rumor says that She had already fallen at the end of the Second Epoch, but this cannot be confirmed, because no one has ever seen Her corpse or remains.”

The Goddess of Harvest really was named Omebella… The Sun Derrick froze there. He wanted to refute it, but because this matter had indeed proven that the City of Silver’s history had many omissions, he could not speak for a moment and felt quite stifled.

Seeing this, The Moon Emlyn felt extremely comfortable. Pleasure rose slowly from the depths of his heart.

After they exchanged a while longer, the Tarot Gathering reached its end. Klein smiled faintly and said, “Everyone, until next week.”

“I shall follow Your will.” Justice Audrey immediately rose and bowed.

The others were not much slower, including The Hermit Cattleya.

…

Returning to reality, Admiral of Stars Cattleya looked at the broken astrolabe placed on her desk and seriously savored what had happened at the gathering just now.

Certain details made her believe that the Tarot Club involved many matters and was far from simple. As for Mr. Fool, hidden deep within the gray fog, He was like an existence watching the world from behind layered shadow curtains—impossible to see clearly, impossible to fathom, and impossible to know what He was plotting.

Cattleya remained silent for more than ten seconds. Then she took out paper and pen, considered her wording, and wrote:

“Recently, someone has been deliberately collecting the Emperor’s diary.”

She did not dare involve the Tarot Club in the letter. She did not dare reveal even a little information, fearing Mr. Fool’s punishment. She could only begin from something whose signs could normally be discovered and give a warning.

After finishing and folding the letter, she took out an exquisite harmonica that seemed to be made of gold, placed it to her lips, and blew once.

In the time it took to blink twice, she saw the letter vanish strangely.

Even though she was not wearing glasses, she had still failed to discover the messenger’s arrival.

Whew… Cattleya exhaled softly, reached up to touch her forehead, and said soundlessly, “Attending a gathering under the gaze of a deity truly brings great pressure.”

…

“With Admiral of Stars joining, I, The Fool, am also under great pressure…” Klein rubbed the corner of his forehead above the gray fog and directly returned to the real world.

He was going to test the inspiration he had obtained from Miss Justice’s exploration of dreams.