Above the undulating waves of the Sonia Sea, the " Blue Avenger " was like a leaf, sometimes tossed high and sometimes swept down, but without showing any sign of capsizing.
Alger Wilson stood in the captain's cabin, his back to the shelves displaying red and white wines, and paced a few steps unconsciously.
Finally, he gritted his teeth, his expression grim, and returned to his mahogany desk. He removed the brass-colored sextant, found some paper and a pen, and bent down to sketch the complex, mysterious symbol given to him by the " The Fool."
With the help of the " Navigator's" memory, Alger quickly completed the first step of the sacrificial ritual.
Immediately afterwards, he opened the drawer, took out the candles, and arranged them according to the "dualistic method": one was placed on the symbol formed by the combination of the " Pupil-less Eye " and the " Line of Distortion," and the other was placed in the center to represent the sacrificer.
After clearing the clutter from the desk, Alger, the " The Hanged Man," conjured water in his palm and wiped the altar clean. With the help of a ritual silver dagger, he managed to create a sealed wall around the desk.
After doing all this, he used his Spirituality to light the two candles and took a few steps back in the dim light.
Instinctively, Alger took a breath, lowered his head, and recited in Ancient Hermes:
" The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era!"
"You are the Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog;"
"You are the King of Yellow and Black, who holds the key to good fortune."
"Your faithful servant begs for your attention;"
"Please accept his offering;"
"We beseech you to open the gates of your kingdom."
The ancient incantation echoed within the Wall of Spirituality, stirring up swirling gales and bringing about a tremor of natural forces.
It is the oldest sacrificial language created by Beyonder human beings, and it contains many mysteries, but it lacks sufficient protection for its users.
Enduring the pain as if his skin were being scraped by a knife, Alger took out a small, dark brown glass bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and poured out a number of sesame-seed-like particles.
These particles shimmer with a metallic sheen, possessing an indescribable beauty.
Alger, the " The Hanged Man," scattered the particles into the wind.
Ugh!
The wind grew stronger, but no longer fierce, and was tinged with two colors: silver-white and deep black.
Between constant collisions and fusions, the two winds of different colors poured into the candle flame symbolizing the " The Fool," expanding and tearing open a normal-sized illusory door, the symbol engraved on its surface being the very one Alger had just described.
At this very moment, above the Gray Fog, Klein witnessed the hazy door he had seen before appearing behind the high-backed chair, and felt the Spirituality power ripple outwards, stimulating this mysterious space.
It seems possible... Klein suddenly had a premonition, and immediately unleashed his Spirituality, adding vibration and stimulation.
Clang!
Amidst the unrealistic sounds, the hazy door slowly opened!
Suddenly, Alger in the captain's cabin saw a phantom door made of wind and light open, behind which lay deep darkness, countless indescribable, almost invisible shadows, beams of clear light containing vast knowledge, a thick Gray Fog above them, and an ancient palace overlooking the real world.
In this scene, Alger couldn't help but tremble; it was a deep fear, a strange excitement.
He hurriedly picked up the Rainbow Salamander pituitary gland that he had prepared beforehand, and with his head lowered, he held it in both hands and handed this palm-sized object, which was constantly changing in color and had a soft, textured surface, to the door of illusion.
In the sudden and instantly disappearing suction, Alger's hands became lighter, and he no longer felt the slight tingling sensation from the Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland.
He dared not look up until he heard the deep, resonant voice of " The Fool " echoing in his ears:
Well done.
"It's my honor," Alger replied without hesitation.
He looked ahead again and saw that the illusory gate had disappeared, the fierce wind had stopped, and the candlelight had returned to normal.
After the ceremony concluded with the candles extinguished as per normal procedure, Alger, the " The Hanged Man," sat down with a complex expression and muttered to himself:
"At first, he could only pull people into the world above the Gray Fog... After a while, he could listen to prayers and respond... Now he can accept sacrifices to bestow gifts... Mr. ' The Fool ' is gradually escaping his predicament and slowly delving deeper into the real world?"
This conjecture and conclusion filled Alger with fear, worry, and a mixture of relief and anticipation.
At least I'm a member of the Tarot Club, one of the earliest members... He sighed.
In the magnificent palace above the Gray Fog, Klein was playing with the pituitary gland of the Rainbow Salamander, his face reflecting various colors that kept changing.
A slightly tingling and numb sensation came from his palm, and a strong sense of accomplishment filled his heart, bringing a genuine smile to his face.
" The Tarot Club even more 'magical' in the future..." Klein sighed, extending his Spirituality and transmitting his thoughts to the deep red star that symbolized " Justice ".
Back in her bedroom, Audrey could no longer sit quietly on the edge of the bed. She would sometimes glance at the books beside her pillow, and sometimes stare unfocusedly at her reflection in the mirror.
She both looked forward to the completion of the " The Hanged Man " sacrificial ritual and feared that it would end in failure.
As Emperor Roselle once said, one must remain calm and composed when faced with important matters... Audrey, come on, take a couple of deep breaths... or go play with the dog? However, Susie can speak and think now; she is a creature with self-respect and cannot be teased casually... Audrey's thoughts wandered aimlessly, unconsciously kneading a finely crafted and ornately dressed rag doll in her hand.
She didn't know how much time had passed when suddenly a thick Gray Fog appeared before her eyes, and deep within the Gray Fog was a chair high above.
The Fool sat there, smiling:
"Miss Justice, the experiment was successful. Have you prepared the Spirituality materials?"
"Fantastic! No wonder he's called Mr. The Fool!" Audrey tossed the Hanged Man aside, suppressing her excitement, and exclaimed.
"Yes, I always have similar materials around me."
Even before Tarot Club, Audrey was like this, but at that time she didn't know which materials were considered Spirituality; she simply kept moving various aromatherapy oil recipes from her family's treasury.
Klein nodded slightly and said:
When would you like to hold the ceremony?
"This is on the premise that there are no Beyonder nearby."
Does an extraordinary dog count...? Audrey glanced guiltily at the tightly closed door:
"I can do it now."
Klein hummed in agreement.
"The ceremony proceeded as I described before, except the prayer was changed to:"
"Your faithful servant begs for your attention;"
"We beseech you to open the gates of your kingdom;"
"I pray that you will grant me strength."
"In addition, the dualistic ritual method is used."
Audrey reviewed the thoughts, resisted the urge to nod repeatedly, and began preparing for the ceremony.
When the illusory gate opened, and the scene, more dreamlike than the Starry Sky, appeared, Audrey felt her body and soul were intoxicated.
This is the mysterious world I've been searching for, this is the feeling I've always wanted! She sincerely praised Mr. " The Fool ".
She had faith in the goddess and worshipped Mr. The Fool... Audrey silently defended herself in her heart.
Then, she was astonished to see something new on the "altar"—a soft, ever-changing object covered in hills and valleys.
"The pituitary gland of the Rainbow Salamander!" Audrey's heart leaped with joy, her eyes lighting up as she reached out to take it.
But her manners quickly took over, Audrey once again sincerely praised Mr. The Fool.
After the ceremony ended, she eagerly stepped forward and carefully examined the extraordinary material five times.
"Our Tarot Club is a level above all other Concealment organizations..." Audrey thought to herself with a touch of smug satisfaction.
Then, she glanced warily at the doorway, as if afraid that Susie might suddenly burst in.
She must persevere, immediately concoct the Potion, and complete her advancement!
A few minutes later, Audrey held a bottle of liquid in her hand, its luster constantly shifting, seemingly able to penetrate the depths of everyone's heart.
She confidently drank the " Mind Reader " Potion, successfully completed the integration phase of her Beyonder Characteristic, and was promoted.
What she saw before her suddenly seemed much clearer, and even more abundant. Audrey skillfully used Cogitation to gather her scattered Spirituality.
Once the Sequence stabilized, she smiled and walked briskly to the door, letting the golden retriever in. She noticed a clear look of suspicion on Susie's dog face.
"You've taken longer than usual," Susie, making no attempt to hide her thoughts.
Audrey sat down on the soft stool, chuckled twice, and changed the subject:
" Susie, tell me, how can I subtly and without revealing myself tell Hugh and Fors something and pique their interest?"
Before she could finish speaking, Audrey herself began to seriously consider the task assigned to her by this " The Fool ".
Then she looked at Susie, Susie looked at her; the two of them, one human and one dog, were both lost in thought.
Having achieved his goal, Klein returned to reality, slept for a short hour, and then hurriedly went out to buy gold-rimmed glasses, a wig, and various types of beards that could be glued on and pulled off for disguise, which he would need for his future disguise.
Before dinner, he went to the most dangerous and populous East Borough in the East District and rented a one-bedroom apartment for 4 Soli and 3 pence per week. He paid two weeks' rent upfront, plus an equal deposit, for a total of 17 Soli.
It was only at this point that Klein was beginning to make preparations, and the East Borough had left a deep impression on him. Most of the area was similar to Lower Tingen Lower Street, but it covered an area many times larger.
The residents here are considered relatively decent even if their clothes are old. Many are dressed in rags, are emaciated and look like they might turn into wild beasts at any moment due to hunger and poverty. As a result, gangs run rampant and crimes are frequent in the East Borough.
When Klein returned to Cherwood Borough, he felt like he had gone from Hell to heaven.
Over the next two days, he experimented with performing rituals and creating talismans using only his own Spirituality, no longer praying to the goddess, while waiting for the effects of the small advertisements to take hold and for commissions to come to him.
On Thursday morning, Klein finally heard the doorbell ring. (8)