The Fool Card

Mu You's eyes lit up. He had obtained a potion-brewing pot. Nice, very nice-he was another step closer to Potionology.

The crow took flight again, and Mu You followed.

Before leaving, he wondered whether he could take the two remaining potions here along with him.

But the pharmacist was nowhere near as accommodating as the crow. He had hidden the potions well in advance and watched Mu You like a thief, leaving him no choice but to give up.

[You trek for a long time along the crow's flight path and arrive on a patch of soft ground. Just as you are about to ask where the third trial will take place, you suddenly feel yourself step on something.]

[You look down and discover that you have stepped on a Mushroom Person-a mushroom with a human face!]

[The Mushroom Person was once a Dark Wizard's apprentice, but turned into a mushroom after losing control of his power.]

[The Mushroom Person curses after being stepped on and releases countless spores that surround you!]

[You have been infected by the spores. Poisonous mushrooms sprout all over your body, along with festering sores of various sizes, and both grow progressively worse over time.]

[You realize that you seem to have entered a state of "loss of control" similar to the Mushroom Person's and are about to become a Mushroom Person yourself. Five other mushrooms are growing in the soil beneath your feet. You may choose one to eat; one of them might be able to save you.]

So the third trial was mushroom picking?

Mu You was amused. This Witch really has one trick after another up her sleeve.

As before, he tried all five mushrooms in turn.

Four of them stopped the infection immediately, but turned him into a Lizard Person, a Frog Person, a Flying Insect Person, and a Pumpkin Person, respectively.

As for the last one, it was another poisonous mushroom, just as he had expected. Eating it killed him through poisoning, while also giving him a new hint: [Do not choose who you want to become. Choose who you are, or you will lose your humanity.]

As usual, it was another baffling hint. There was no way to understand it without seeing what the next trial involved.

Mu You quickly noted it down, then rewound.

Having tried all five options, he now clearly understood what this trial was testing.

"If you lose control, the path to salvation is to confront it, not choose to become another kind of monster."

The hint from the previous trial was perfectly clear, so Mu You chose none of the mushrooms and instead began controlling his character.

[To save yourself, you begin pulling the mushrooms off your body and lancing your festering sores. However many mushrooms grow, you pull them all out; however many sores appear, you lance them all. Soon, your entire body is a bloody mess, and the agony makes you wish you were dead. But you persevere until you have stripped away and replaced every bit of flesh on the surface of your body. At last, you have cured yourself!]

[The Mushroom Person stares at you in fear and shouts: Madman! You're a madman! Then he retreats into the soil.]

[You search the patch of soil where the Mushroom Person withdrew and discover a Phantom Magic Wand!]

[Phantom Magic Wand: The renowned Magic Wand carried by the Calamity Witch for many years. Increases spell range by 30% and casting speed by 30%. Grants immunity to all disarming spells. Comes with the advanced spell "Apparition": channel magic into the wand to activate the spell, instantly teleporting yourself and nearby people or objects to another location.]

"Holy shit!"

Mu You swore the moment he finished reading.

Range and casting speed were the two most important attributes for a wizard, and this wand boosted both at once-by a whopping 30%!

In other words, as long as he cast with this wand, his incantation speed and spell range would both increase by nearly a third. That was an absolute game changer!

On top of that, immunity to disarming was another extremely practical attribute. Anyone who had played a game as a mage would know how serious it was to lose your wand in combat.

A warrior without a weapon could at least fight barehanded. A mage without a wand was nothing but a punching bag. This attribute was every bit as useful as the first two.

Of course, the wand's most stunning feature was the last one, which was also the source of its name: the built-in advanced spell, Apparition!

Instant teleportation!

And teleportation that could bring other people along, at that!

There was no need to explain how powerful this ability was. Engaging, escaping, rescuing, pursuing-it excelled at them all. It was arguably the most versatile god-tier skill there was!

After reading it, all Mu You could say was: Badass! Unbeatable! Absolutely insane!

This wand was ridiculously powerful in every sense!

Come to think of it, what rarity would such an overpowered wand be?

With that thought, Mu You tapped the text to retrieve it.

A hardwood wand covered in spiral patterns appeared in his hand. It featured exquisite carvings and alternating red and black coloring, while a faint purple glow outlined its entire length.

Sure enough, purple-an epic item! It was a whole tier more valuable than the Werewolf's Bone-Shattering Blade!

Mu You grinned from ear to ear. Apart from the Time Pocket Watch, this was the most precious treasure he had obtained so far.

Unfortunately, Cola was already asleep. Otherwise, Mu You would definitely have gone to show it off.

Mu You glanced up at the time. It was already well past midnight.

He had no idea when his stamina had refreshed or when he had used it all up again. It was back to 0/8, but by now, he hardly cared about stamina anymore.

Surely he would not be allowed to interrupt the trials midway. With rewards this incredible, he had to finish the entire sequence tonight, even if it meant spending his lifespan!

After reveling in his excitement for a while, Mu You soon calmed down, exhaled, and turned his attention back to the game.

[The crow flaps its wings, and all the wounds on your body heal in the blink of an eye.]

[The crow urges you to continue onward and flies ahead. You hurry after it.]

[A short while later, you and the crow arrive at the fourth trial site.]

[A female fortune-teller holding a crystal ball sits behind a divination table, with a row of Tarot Cards spread out before her.]

[Trial-taker, let me divine your fate!]

[Please choose one of the following 22 Tarot Cards to draw. The fortune-teller will divine your future fate based on your chosen card!]

[You glance at the hundreds of skeletons scattered around. Even more people seem to have met their end here than in the previous trial. You realize that this stage is not as easy as it appears. Choose your card carefully.]

A full twenty-two options appeared below: [Justice], [King], [Hierophant], [Death], [Hanged Man]... They were all Tarot Cards.

"Bring it on!"

Mu You was not afraid in the slightest now. In fact, he was eagerly anticipating it. After all, every trial he cleared rewarded him with an incredibly badass item. The more challenges like this, the better!

This trial did not seem to mention a penalty? But there were even more skeletons scattered around, which meant there had to be danger.

As usual, Mu You selected every card once first.

He discovered that these were not merely ordinary cards. Each possessed a special ability.

For example, the King card possessed the power of "domination." While holding this card, he could focus his gaze on someone and force that person to carry out a command.

The Hermit card, meanwhile, granted lifelong invisibility when selected, making him permanently invisible.

In short, whichever card he chose, he would obtain its corresponding ability.

Mu You looked through them all and found that every card's ability was immensely powerful-except for the Fool card.

Fool: A failed creation casually made by God, a creature composed of four parts foolishness, three parts reason, two parts ingenuity, and one part savagery.

Apart from that incomprehensible description, the Fool card displayed no abilities. Instead, it provided a hint: [Always keep the scales balanced. Even the slightest tilt will doom you to lose control.]