Chapter 181: Spirit World Observations

Chapter 181: Spirit World Observations

Klein understood perfectly well why Miss Justice was looking at him.

Having learned of the Lanevus incident, she must have assumed that he had clashed with the True Creator both openly and in secret on numerous occasions, and that possessing related items was only natural. Perhaps he even possessed quite a few of them.

Logically speaking, there was nothing wrong with her thinking. And in reality, after having dealt with the True Creator time and again, I really do have an item that fits the description… Klein sighed inwardly.

As for whether he would help Little Sun, there was no question in his mind. The Land Forsaken by the Gods, where the City of Silver was located, was filled with all kinds of monsters. It could provide many Beyonder materials that had already become exceedingly rare across the Northern and Southern Continents. Their history had never been interrupted, nor had it been distorted by any deity or Church. It presented, in the most direct manner, the stories and secrets from before the Cataclysm—knowledge that held extraordinary value. Whether from the standpoint of the Tarot Club’s leader or from the simple calculation of benefits, Klein had no intention of abandoning Little Sun or the City of Silver unless there was truly no hope.

However, there were certain words that were not suitable for Mr. Fool to say.

Just as Justice Audrey was looking with hopeful eyes at Mr. Fool, who was shrouded behind the dense gray fog, the World, who had remained silent until now, spoke.

“I have an item that contains the mental corruption of the True Creator.”

He was referring to the All-Black Eye left behind by the Secret Puppet Master, Rosago.

“An item containing the True Creator’s mental corruption?” The Hanged Man, Alger, organized his words while thinking. “That might be able to help the Sun. Those exploration team members whose thoughts and perspectives have already been distorted will very likely mutate on the spot if they sense the True Creator’s spirit nearby.”

The World looked toward the Sun and let out a hoarse laugh.

“Little fellow, I can lend that item to you. But what can you offer as payment?”

Seeing hope, the Sun, Derrick, thought rapidly and immediately recalled what had been mentioned in earlier gatherings. He hurriedly said, “I can help you gather one of the following: the characteristic of a Human-skinned Shadow, the mutated brain pituitary gland of a Thousand-faced Hunter, or a Thousand-faced Hunter’s blood. I will also try to obtain a method to remove the mental corruption of a losing-control Beyonder from an item. Whichever I get first will be the payment.”

Among those options, Human-skinned Shadows were relatively easier to encounter. They were among the more terrifying monsters in the depths of the darkness.

At this moment, Derrick was not considering whether the values were equal. Under normal circumstances, borrowing an item corrupted by the True Creator once would clearly not be worth any one of the conditions he had offered. But in the present situation, he would likely grit his teeth and accept whatever exorbitant price the other party demanded. In that case, it was better to take the initiative and show sincerity.

The World nodded slightly.

“Very well. I will ask Mr. Fool to help lend it to you.”

As he spoke, he materialized the appearance of the All-Black Eye and added, “It is equivalent to a Sequence 5 Beyonder. If you lose it, you must compensate me. Also, once this matter is over, return it immediately.”

These were precisely the sorts of things Klein could not say in his identity as the Fool. If a divine, hidden existence of his standing kept saying “compensation” and “remember to return it,” his level would instantly fall from high above the clouds down to the ground.

In addition, Klein had considered a potential future problem:

Items such as the All-Black Eye were types he had used in the real world. If, in the future, he pulled in a new member who knew of that matter, the other party might be able to confirm certain things from this clue. Therefore, having Sherlock Moriarty equal the World was obviously much better than having Sherlock Moriarty equal the Fool.

When strength does not match status, one can only walk on thin ice, terrified at every step, as though standing over an abyss… The Fool, Klein, sighed soundlessly.

Seeing that Mr. Fool neither rejected the World’s request nor said that anything was wrong with the transaction, Derrick let out a breath of relief and happily agreed to all the conditions.

At the same time, Justice Audrey was sincerely happy for Little Sun.

The Hanged Man, Alger, thought for a moment, then slowly exhaled and considered his words before saying to the Sun, “Do not be too optimistic. You must grasp exactly how to handle this. First is the timing. You cannot put yourself in danger. It would be best if only one member of the exploration team is present while many other residents of the City of Silver are nearby, or else when all of them are already imprisoned or sealed away… You need to use a wall of spirituality in advance to seal the container holding that item, so that it cannot be sensed directly. Only then can you keep control over how the matter develops… In addition, you must consider how to hide the item afterward. You cannot let the Six-Member Council discover it. Otherwise, you will not be able to clear yourself of suspicion…”

If such an easy-to-deceive fellow dies, it’ll be much harder for me to obtain information about the Land Forsaken by the Gods and the secrets of ancient eras… The Hanged Man did not feel there was any problem with providing assistance.

Under his guidance, the Sun, Derrick, gradually formed a complete plan and clarified several key points that needed attention.

“Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man. Thank you. Thank you, all of you.” He sincerely expressed his gratitude to the members of the Tarot Club, filling Justice Audrey with the satisfaction of having done a good deed.

With the Sun’s matter temporarily settled, The Magician, Fors, who had watched the entire process, suddenly had an idea.

She brushed back her slightly curled hair and said, “I’d like to know which family the Apprentice pathway belongs to. I am willing to exchange one chapter from Spirit World Observations. Although it is considered the ravings of a fantasist, based on my experiences entering and leaving the spirit world several times, many of the descriptions inside are real.”

Spirit World Observations was one of the mysticism notebooks Madam Anlisa had left to her. Its contents were illogical, chaotic, and absurd; merely reading it could make a person irritable. Yet after her body had entered and left the spirit world three times for various reasons, Fors discovered that the notebook might not contain ravings after all.

Spirit World Observations? The Fool, Klein, leaned slightly back and controlled the World to speak before The Hanged Man could answer.

“I know the answer. I can also give you some relevant information for free.”

He knew very well that The Hanged Man could also answer The Magician’s question.

Competition is such a nuisance. Now I even have to bundle in freebies… Klein silently grumbled.

“All right.” Fors felt a burst of joy.

She discovered that the Tarot Club was indeed much higher-level than the other Beyonder circles she had attended in the past. Many difficult questions could be answered here.

At that moment, the World asked in a deep, hoarse voice, “Do you wish to hear the answer alone, or can everyone hear it?”

The Magician, Fors, thought for a few seconds, then said something that surprised Justice Audrey and the others.

“You can just say it here.”

In her view, the answer to her question was almost useless to the others, so it did not matter if they learned it. And if Mr. World had omissions or his description was incomplete, perhaps someone else happened to know the corresponding information, allowing her to use the same chapter of Spirit World Observations to obtain a supplement.

She considered that far more important.

The World showed no surprise and said in a low voice, “In the Fourth Epoch, the Apprentice pathway was controlled by the Abraham family. Later, it flowed into the Tamara family, who had long intermarried with them. In the Fifth Epoch—that is, the current era—the Gnosis Society also possesses the Apprentice and Trickmaster potion formulas. It is widely believed to have ties to the Abraham and Tamara families. Of course, some suspect the Gnosis Society is actually a disguise of the Demoness Sect.”

Considering that Miss Magician had already encountered members of the Abraham family, Klein controlled the World to add one more line:

“It is said that the Abraham family has long suffered a bloodline curse and has had no choice but to live scattered apart in order to avoid danger.”

A bloodline curse? The Magician, Fors, suddenly widened her eyes, thinking of what had happened to her.

Madam Anlisa’s husband belonged to the Abraham family. That Mr. Lawrence was also a member of the Abraham family? That’s why she said that as long as one wasn’t a member of that family, one wouldn’t be cursed. But—but I used that bracelet. It belonged to the Abraham family? Fors was once again gnawed at by regret.

This was also the first time The Hanged Man, Alger, and Justice Audrey had heard of the Abraham family’s bloodline curse. Each formed their own associations, and for a brief moment no one spoke.

After a while, The Magician, Fors, took a deep breath and said, “Thank you, Mr. World. You have resolved the greatest doubt in my heart.

“I will transcribe the first chapter of Spirit World Observations and sacrifice it to Mr. Fool after the gathering ends. Mr. Fool, is that acceptable?”

…The Magician is a descendant of the Abraham family? No wonder she can enter and leave the spirit world with her body… She likely possesses the corresponding mystical item… The Hanged Man abruptly looked toward her.

Fors is from the Abraham family? She was born into an ancient family that can be traced back to the Fourth Epoch? Justice Audrey nodded as though deep in thought.

After receiving Mr. Fool’s affirmative reply, The Magician, Fors, relaxed and began seeking the Beyonder materials Spirit Eater’s stomach pouch and Deep-sea Marlin’s blood. Unfortunately, The Sun had not gone out recently and thus had no harvest, while The Hanged Man merely mentioned that he had a lead on Deep-sea Marlin’s blood.

Likewise, no one had yet obtained the Wind-blessed potion formula. Justice Audrey did not hurry to seek the Psychiatrist formula either, because she was about to join the Psychology Alchemists.

Klein had originally intended to sell either the Werewolf Beyonder characteristic or the Biological Poison Bottle, but considering how well the latter matched his spirit-body state and the current financial condition of the members, he temporarily abandoned the idea.

The trading session quickly ended, and the gathering entered the phase in which the members shared their experiences.

Justice Audrey slowly looked around, wearing a faint smile as she said, “Last week, an interesting case occurred in Backlund. The main figure in it was called the chivalrous bandit Black Emperor.”