Upon seeing the image reflected in the silver mirror, Klein immediately wore a thoughtful expression:
"This mirror is amazing, and it even has its own name on it. It seems to be a living, Sealed Artifact..."
"This kind of thing might not be too harmful, but it's very difficult to seal. It's rarely used except in special circumstances. This member of the Machinery Hivemind named Ikanser Bernard seems to hold a high position; he should be a butler, and he's not simple either..."
"The limit of Divination can achieve is roughly the result shown in that silver mirror. Even if I go above the Gray Fog, I won't get any better results."
"The appearance of the ' Apostle of Desire ' is uncertain; there are countless people in Backlund who fit the criteria of high cheekbones and Blue Eyes..."
As Klein's thoughts raced, the image reflected in the silver mirror quickly faded.
Then, words as bright red as blood were outlined on the mirror:
"Based on the principle of reciprocity, it's my turn to ask questions. If you lie or cannot answer, you will either accept the task I assign or be punished."
"..." Klein raised an eyebrow as he read this:
Is this a truth or dare game? Interesting...
The words, as if dripping blood, slowly transform into new letters, new sentences:
" Red Light's real name?"
Red Light? One of the leaders of the Brotherhood of Pure Light? One of the seven beams of light high in the Spirit World? Klein thought about it seriously and realized he didn't know the answer.
He only knew one person, " Yellow Light " Venithan.
Ikanser's throat bobbed, and sweat began to appear on his forehead.
After a brief silence, he said in a deep voice:
" Nanides!"
" Error." The blood-red words on the mirror changed again, "Mission, or punishment?"
Ikanser's expression showed obvious struggle, and he finally exhaled and said:
"Punish."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a bolt of silver lightning appeared out of nowhere and struck him on the head.
With a hiss, Ikanser's hair stood on end, and his body collapsed with a thud, leaving behind wisps of black smoke.
Instead of landing with him, the mirror Levitation on its own and settled on the table.
Two seconds later, Ikanser shakily stood up, leaning on the chair, then sat down, trembling and panting.
Klein watched all this in silence, unsure how to react for a long time.
Having calmed down a bit, Ikanser looked at him and forced a smile, saying:
"You should have heard of what Sealed Artifact are, and you should know that they all have certain negative effects."
"Yes." Klein looked at Ikanser's hair standing on end and suddenly understood why his previous hairstyle was so fluffy, messy, and stubborn.
Klein couldn't help but say:
"You could have asked me by yourself; there was no need to do it in front of me."
"Phew, the requirement for this mirror is that someone must be watching." Ikanser was still trembling.
It's really quite Spirituality... Klein took two steps forward, came to the table, and examined the silver mirror carefully with great curiosity. He found that apart from the strange patterns and the two eye-like decorations, this living Sealed Artifact had nothing special about it.
Ikanser, facing him sideways, shuddered and let out a soft gasp:
"You can ask it questions too, we don't mind."
"No, I didn't mean that." Klein would never play "truth or dare" with something like a Ouija board or spirit medium.
As he spoke, he tried to touch the edge of the silver mirror.
The mirror felt cold to the touch, like metal... Just as Klein had this thought, he saw the ancient silver mirror tremble slightly.
White words quickly appeared on it:
"Your faithful and humble servant Arrodes, is at your service."
Huh? Klein was momentarily confused.
Then, without making a sound, he moved away from the desk.
What's going on? This mirror was just playing "Truth or Dare" with someone so coolly a moment ago... how did it change like this in the blink of an eye? Klein was both amused and puzzled.
He quickly made some guesses based on the available information:
"Silver Mirror knows the true name of ' Red Light,' and seems to have some connection to the Spirit World..."
"And that mysterious space above the Gray Fog also seems to be connected to the Spirit World. At least when I summon myself, I can see a place that resembles the Spirit World as I pass through the gate..."
"This mirror named Arrodes detected the presence of the Gray Fog?"
As thoughts raced through his mind, Klein saw Ikanser recover, stand up again, and take the ancient silver mirror. Meanwhile, the other two team members in the room ended their aimless search, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
After checking, Klein bid farewell to Ikanser and the others and found Isengard Stanton back in the living room.
"What's the next step?" he asked directly.
Isengard answered with a solemn expression:
"Let Stuart and his family move together for protection, but this can only be a short-term solution."
"You, me, and Kaslana will continue our normal activities under covert protection, hoping to find that ' Apostle of Desire ' as soon as possible."
"Are you a follower of the God of Steam and Machinery?"
"Yes," Klein replied, drawing a triangular holy symbol on his chest.
At the same time, he sighed somewhat:
For the next while, I only dared to enter the area above the Gray Fog from the washroom...
Inside the Earl Hall's luxurious villa in Queens Borough.
Audrey glanced at the elegant wall clock, then, suppressing her nervousness and excitement, slowly sat down in front of the dressing table.
She was about to go to the home of her psychology teacher, Islante, to take a crucial step towards becoming a full member of the " Psychology Alchemists."
Before that, she had to time her prayers to Mr. The Fool, asking for his help.
"Should I see Angel this time? "Audrey thought expectantly.
She calmed herself for a few seconds, then clasped her hands together, placed them in front of her mouth and nose, and whispered the name of " The Fool ".
At 15 Minsk Street, Klein stood in the living room, looking at the finally deserted scene, and sighed.
For him, the " Apostle of Desire " brought only danger, while for Stuart and others, it also brought changes to their lives.
Hopefully, this can be resolved as soon as possible... With so many Beyonder and so many Sealed Artifact, there must be something that can restrain the " Devil " pathway... Amidst his thoughts, Klein suddenly heard illusory, layered prayers.
It must be Miss " Justice "... He glanced around knowingly, then casually walked towards the restroom.
As he locked the bathroom door, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
"My life has changed a little bit too..."
Until the threat of the " Apostle of Desire " is eliminated, he, who is secretly protected by the " Machinery Hivemind," can only try to avoid going above the Gray Fog.
Next week's " Tarot Club " needs to be streamlined in terms of process and content, but no matter how much it's compressed, it still needs to be at least ten minutes. Hmm, constipation is a very normal thing. Who says that Beyonder can't be constipated? Klein took four steps backward to make the best of a bad situation and entered the Gray Fog.
Next, following her previous instructions, " Justice " Audrey performed a simple ritual and entered a state of " Artificial Sleepwalking ".
After Klein saw her blurry figure appear within the crimson star, he proceeded with the operation methodically. First, he used his spirit to envelop the " Black Emperor " card, then picked up the paper figure with improved cutting skills and shook it out.
As expected, the paper figure, drawing upon the power pried up from the Gray Fog, transformed into a Great Angel with twelve pairs of jet-black wings.
Audrey saw the holy and majestic Angel descend before her, wrapping herself in layers of wings, and for a long time she was speechless.
This is Angel, Mr. The Fool's Angel... and a twelve-pair-winged Great Angel at that! It's exactly as described in mythological texts... and this is also our Tarot Club's Angel! Audrey watched the Angel's figure fade and disappear quickly, and suddenly felt an unusual sense of familiarity with it.
She thanked Mr. The Fool with joy, excitement, and reverence, then called the maids and instructed them to prepare for her departure.
Klein returned to the living room with a smile, staring at the bullet holes in the wall in deep thought.
Should we hang a cheap oil painting to cover it up, or should we repair it and repaint it?
Hillston Borough, Seventh Avenue, Islante's home.
Audrey left all the maids and bodyguards in the living room, and followed her master into the sitting room with her golden retriever, Susie.
Inside the living room, two other people were already waiting: Hilbert Alucard, the psychologist whom Audrey had been introduced to by Madam Norma, Stephen Hampres, the convener of the previous psychology seminar.
At this moment, although it was already dinner time, only a single ordinary candle was lit in the room.
The candle sat in the center of the coffee table, its dim, yellow flame flickering gently, dispelling the darkness in the living room.
After exchanging greetings, Hilbert, whose skin was brownish and who had some Southern Continent ancestry, glanced at the golden retriever Susie but did not speak.
Audrey smiled apologetically and said:
"With it around, I feel safer."
Susie looked at Hilbert with innocent eyes.
"I understand that feeling, please have a seat." Hilbert smiled slightly and sat down on the sofa on the other side of the coffee table. Hampres and Islante also found seats.
Once Audrey was seated, Hilbert adjusted the candle wick, making the light a little brighter.
He looked at Audrey through the candlelight:
"Now answer me honestly, do you really want to join the Psychology Alchemists?"
His eyes seemed to take on a golden hue in the candlelight, and deep within his pupils, another eye was faintly visible—a vertical eye.
Audrey suddenly felt a moment of dizziness, then regained her senses and nodded slightly:
"Yes."
Hilbert asked again:
Would you intentionally harm the Psychology Alchemists?
His tone carried a strange inducement, as if as long as the person being asked gave an affirmative answer, they would unconsciously agree and follow it from the bottom of their heart.
"No," Audrey replied very rationally.
After a few questions, Hilbert, Islante, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.
The former asked with a smile, "Is there anything else you'd like to say?"
Audrey hesitated for a moment, then revealed her honesty:
"I once bought the ' Spectator ' recipe at a gathering of Beyonder, and I... I am now a ' Spectator '."
That Beyonder gathering is called the Tarot Club... Audrey thought proudly to herself.