In Audrey's view, Mr. World's current state does not indicate a mental illness, nor does it lead to loss of control. He has only developed some psychological barriers due to the disillusionment with his life goals and the meaning of his existence. As long as he can be properly guided and helped to establish short- to medium-term goals and gradually find meaning in life, the problem will be gradually resolved.
In the still, dark silence, Audrey heard Gehrman Sparrow's deep voice reply from the other side of the wall:
"No."
As expected, there wasn't one... Audrey wasn't surprised and asked casually:
Did he look for his family's last words? Did he search for their graves? Did he try to figure out why they were asleep?
Behind the wall, the spirit seemed to vanish for a few seconds, making no sound. After a long while, the hoarse voice slowly spoke:
No, not at the moment.
Not yet... which means there will be in the future? Audrey felt a sense of relief, because she could clearly sense that "The World" Gehrman Sparrow's emotional state was no longer so low and gloomy. He seemed to lack interest in everything, and he had gained some motivation and a little urgency, but he still seemed rather confused.
Seizing the opportunity, Audrey used " Placate " again, and this time the effect was much better than before. At least she believed that Mr. World had escaped the ever-deepening Abyss of depression and returned to the normal state of being depressed.
Next, Audrey didn't discuss how to find clues or investigate the cause, as this would likely provoke resistance. She nodded casually in the dark confessional and said:
"Yes, there are still many things to do, and many problems to be solved! Perhaps there will be a chance to meet someone of the same blood? Perhaps his family members did not die of old age, but have survived to this day for some reason? The reason why life is meaningful is because there are infinite possibilities."
"In the process of searching, we must not ignore the scenery around us. Life is not just a main road; there are many side roads and alleys. If only the former existed, how monotonous it would be. We must learn to contact, to see, and to discover..."
As Audrey racked her brains trying to recall suitable phrases from various books, she suddenly remembered something and said in a softer voice:
"Also, don't wear that thick mask."
The thinner and more transparent kind doesn't matter, because in human interactions, no one is completely without a mask, and no one likes to directly expose their more private or less desirable aspects. This is both self-protection and respect for others... Once Mr. "World" has made a certain number of friends, life will naturally reconstruct a new meaning... Audrey silently added a few more words in her mind, but ultimately didn't say them aloud, because she thought it was too direct and might have the opposite effect.
As she expected, Gehrman Sparrow fell silent again, still looking rather lost.
A few seconds later, a voice that was no longer so hoarse came through:
Thank you for your comfort and treatment.
"No, it all stems from the strength within you," Audrey replied earnestly.
She used " Placate " one last time to ensure that Mr. "World's" mental state was close to normal and that there would be no relapse.
She then heard Gehrman Sparrow say:
"Is that enough for today?"
Audrey adjusted her tone and answered lightly:
"Of course, it's not a serious problem. You can come for a follow-up appointment next week when you're free."
"Also, if possible, prepare some medication to stabilize your mental state. Take it continuously for seven days. The ingredients are 10 grams of chamomile powder, 5 grams of rosemary powder, and 10 ml of lemon balm extract... During this time, do not reduce your intake of sweets, and relax appropriately..."
In the dark and quiet confessional room, she slowly stood up, supporting herself against the wall.
At that moment, Gehrman Sparrow's voice pierced through the wall:
What is a consultation fee?
Audrey leaned against the wall with one hand, tilted her head slightly, and thought for a moment before saying:
"Let's talk about it after I get the Potion recipe for Sequence 5 of the ' Spectator ' pathway. I might need you to help me collect the materials then."
"If the Psychology Alchemists even provides the materials, hmm..."
A slight smile played on her lips as she said:
"When you return to Backlund from the Southern Continent, remember to bring me a local specialty gift."
A super luxurious, lightweight, eight-person-carrying coffin for travel? Klein, on the other side of the wall, inexplicably felt the urge to complain, then stood up against the wall and sent "Miss Justice " back to the real world.
After waving the confessional to disappear, he returned to the head of the long bronze table and sat down in the seat reserved for " the Fool ".
On the table in front of him were three Card of Blasphemy on the right: " Black Emperor," " Tyrant," and " Red Priest." On the left was " Creeping Hunger," which Leonard Mitchell had just sent back through the messenger Reinette Tinekerr.
"I owe Miss Messenger another 10,000 gold coins..." Klein withdrew his gaze and raised his right hand to rub his temples.
To prevent Ince Zangwill from escaping through the Spirit World, he communicated with Reinette Tinekerr before planning this murder, instructing her to expel the Spirit World creatures from the area surrounding Resurrection Square, at a price of 10,000 gold coins.
The only thing that surprised him was that "0-08" was even more terrifying than he had imagined Ince Zangwill suffering from the "curse of God" and being consumed by the Angel King Adam, his first attempt still "summoned" an unknown creature powerful enough to bypass Reinette Tinekerr. If Daly Simone hadn't forcibly Spirit Channeling and made a contract, Ince Zangwill might have escaped just like that.
Of course, even if Ince Zangwill manages to escape while burdened by the "curse of the gods," he will most likely face other Calamity afterward, such as being thrown into an even more dangerous place by that unknown creature, or being directly harmed. But that would be beyond Klein's control.
Thinking about the debt of another 10,000 gold coins, Klein felt a headache coming on, but his mental state improved considerably.
As he ascended the stairway of light above the gray clouds and saw the " Door of Light " and the "cocoons," his spirit was overwhelmed by a flood. All his expectations were shattered, and his once mature worldview, philosophy of life, and values collapsed. He became dazed and confused, like a Living Corpse.
Fortunately, he still had the instinct to survive and promptly sought treatment from his private Psychiatrist, "Miss Justice " Audrey.
Huff... Klein exhaled, forcing himself to turn his thoughts back to those "cocoons," and his instinctive reaction upon seeing that image was:
A being of extremely high level, or some kind of Sealed Artifact, simultaneously used different methods to abduct a large number of people from Earth. Among them were those who used Luck Enhancement Ritual, those who purchased strange silver tokens, and those whose mobile phones were infected with a bizarre virus...
Then, the souls of these transmigrators were sealed inside "cocoons" and suspended above " Door of Light," awaiting a certain opportunity to be sent into the real world.
According to Klein's observation, the " Door of Light " currently lacks Wisdom and operates purely on instinct. In other words, as long as the conditions are met, it will catalyze a "cocoon" and send the soul inside to the body of a specific target.
Based on current observations, Klein speculates that there are roughly two conditions that need to be met:
First, there were no other time travelers before him, or that time traveler had been judged to have failed or died; second, the "calling" of a certain thing, object, or ritual was like the Black Divination that Klein Moretti did based on the Antigonus Family Notebook.
"As for whether there are any others, we don't know unless we find the corresponding content in Emperor Roselle's Diary... Considering all aspects, my current speculation should be very close to the truth. This would explain why the Emperor and I were in the same era on Earth, no more than a year apart, but we are more than two hundred years apart after transmigrating... Because we transmigrated at the same time, but were 'placed' in different eras! Before entering the real world, the Emperor and I had been asleep for countless years... Brother in the next room?" Klein leaned back in his chair, his eyes flickering slightly before returning to their deep gaze.
This was a rough judgment he made based on the state of the " Door of Light," his own situation, and the Emperor's diary.
Of course, this doesn't mean there are no other possibilities, but at present, Klein can't find any other evidence to support it. For example, a "cocoon" might represent a transmigrator's life, but this contradicts the fact that Klein's recovery is becoming increasingly difficult and that his spirit has not changed.
If his speculation is close to the truth, it means that he has been away from Earth for at least two hundred years, or even several thousand years, since he traveled here. Even if he finds a way to get back to Earth, he will never be able to return to the home in his heart.
The barrier of time is more despairing than spatial distance.
This is what caused Klein's mental state to collapse suddenly; "going home" had always been his ultimate goal.
"Miss Justice is right. There are still many problems to solve and explore... What is the significance of that ' Door of Light ' that has so many transmigrators hanging there? What is its purpose? Who arranged everything and brought so many people here in the first place? Where have they gone now? Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings?" Klein tried to immerse himself in thought in order to find his future goals again.
Unfortunately, he can only approach the " Door of Light " at present, but cannot touch it, grasp it, or even see it clearly. He is temporarily unable to conduct any research and cannot obtain the most direct information.
"Consider looking for clues in the real world... Also, since we reached Sequence 4 and could ascend to that gray cloud and see that ' Door of Light,' then with Sequence 2, another qualitative change occurred. Could we then, to some extent, control the ' Door of Light ' and figure out the reason?"
"Heh, influenced by the attitudes of Seven Lights, the Goddess, and Arrodes, I almost thought I was truly the master of the Gray Fog, Great Ruler Above the Spirit World. Now it seems I was just a randomly chosen 'experiment'. If I fail, another transmigrator will appear..." Klein muttered to himself, tapping the edge of the bronze table lightly with his fingers.
Another point he was curious about was:
The three broken "cocoons" represent different things: one represents the self, one represents the emperor, and the other represents someone else.