195 LOTM

Upon hearing Amon's words, Klein's heart sank.

Before this, he wasn't worried that Amon would collude with Genie, because "He" was a top-notch Swindler. No promises "He" made could be believed. As for Genie, "He" had encountered the former Lord of the Mysteries. "He" was considered a victim of such matters in a similar vein. Therefore, "He" would definitely use "His" most wary of approaches to deal with Mr. Error.

This was the result of a lack of trust.

Sometimes, lying, cheating, and swindling could indeed increase the profits in the short-term, but in the long-term, it was better to be honest.

But now, the Trunsoest Brass Book had just formulated the rule of "deception is prohibited here."

And Amon didn't receive any punishment after making the promise!

At the same time, Klein and Genie didn't notice "Him" using any loopholes.

This proved how true and effective Amon's words were. It was from the bottom of "His" heart and wasn't a scam.

Genie could even rely on "His" own level and traits to distort the sentence from "I can promise" to "I promise." It would make it impossible for Amon to go back on "His" word. If "He" did, "He" would suffer damage at the level of a Great Old One.

This made Klein not help but wonder if the rule that "deception is prohibited here" was secretly guided by Amon or deliberately created by Genie, making any Lord of the Mysteries candidate to promise to return "Him" to the cosmos.

To Genie, "He" didn't suffer any losses in such a deal because Klein himself owed "Him" a promise.

If it were any other scene, Klein would still have the time to communicate with Genie and rebuild "His" trust. However, at this moment, Amon's threat was right before his eyes. "He" wouldn't give him the chance to resolve this problem.

If he chose to continue to believe in Genie, Klein would be putting his life in the hands of this Outer Deity and be under "His" control. In the subsequent battle, as long as Genie was able to formulate a few rules that appeared to be fine but were biased towards Amon through the Trunsoest Brass Book, Klein, who was already at a great disadvantage, would rapidly lose with no way to reverse the situation.

As his thoughts raced, Klein made the choice of this gamble.

A translucent dark-colored cloak instantly appeared around him. His face was covered with a strange and distorted mask.

The Fool!

Invisible rings rippled from his body and instantly enveloped Genie, the Trunsoest Brass Book, and the entire wilderness, as well as Amon.

"Blind Stupidity" authority!

Amon's monocle temporarily lost its luster, as though "He" had lost "His" vision. "His" gaze also turned dull.

The speed of text being written on the Trunsoest Brass Book clearly slowed down as though it would take fifteen minutes or even hours to think up the next rule.

Genie's blurry and distorted golden figure shook as it suddenly shrank back into the golden magic lamp that looked like a water flask. It was unknown if it was escaping or if it was purely an instinctual reaction.

Seizing this opportunity, Klein attempted to escape Sefirah Castle as he prepared to "Graft" something to himself.

Just as his consciousness sank, the crystal monocle appeared at the edge of Sefirah Castle, blocking his "path."

Even though "His" intelligence had been reduced briefly, Amon still seemed to remember to stop Klein from leaving Sefirah Castle.

"His" eyes quickly regained clarity as they were still dyed black. "His" mouth slowly opened as "He" laughed uncontrollably.

"I've written this matter into my instinct. This is a good way to resist the effects of Blind Stupidity."

Clearly, "He" had cheated the rules and lied to "Himself," making "His" instincts believe that this was what "He" wanted.

Klein wasn't depressed. He immediately completed the "Grafting" he had prepared long ago.

In the cosmos, a giant star that emitted light and heat suddenly dimmed.

In the wilderness with the effects of "eternal daylight," an orange sun with a destructive aura and a heavy feeling descended from the sky.

The entire wilderness collapsed and curled up as though it was going to charge straight into the star.

At the same time, everything here was ignited, including Amon.

In the next second, the surrounding void began to shrink as they revolved around the real sun. Everything in the world either disintegrated or vaporized. All that was left was the Magic Wishing Lamp and the Trunsoest Brass Book, which were still struggling to withstand the flames, barely suffering any damage.

Klein, who was floating in midair, had long disappeared.

He had "Grafted" himself to that star.

Of course, his "Grafting" was only with the concept of a star, not a physical entity. Otherwise, with The Fool's obviously lower defense than most Sequence 0s, he would be directly swallowed by a real star and die on the spot thanks to his relatively weak body.

The Fool was a very extreme deity. "He" had the ability to destroy a star, but he was unable to face it directly. "His" strengths and weaknesses were equally obvious.

In addition, conceptualized objects couldn't directly affect the surrounding environment and harm the enemy. It wasn't enough to write the words "immense mass, gravity, high temperatures, high heat, and fusion" to create similar effects, but as Mr. Fool, Klein held the authority of "Fooling."

He made his surroundings change according to the concept of a star!

This was an intense "change" and also a type of "Fooling."

Amon, who was wearing a pointed hat and a classic black robe, was completely ignited under the illumination of the star. "He" began to vaporize.

At this moment, his figure distorted as "He" was instantly dyed with resplendent starlight. "He" turned extremely illusory, as though "He" had transformed into an astral door.

At that moment, Amon no longer resembled a physical creature. "He" was closer to a collective body of the symbols like "wandering," "astral world tunnel," "key," and "door."

This was the ability of a Planeswalker to use the astral world to head to different planets and worlds. "They" were able to transform "Themselves" into symbols, allowing "Them" to effectively use the astral world.

At Sequence 0 Door's stage, the qualitative change in such powers became "conceptualized."

Amon transformed "Himself" into a concept creature and avoided the damage brought by the star.

A figure suddenly appeared behind "Him." It was Klein, who was wearing a trench coat and a top hat.

Almost at the same time, Amon's thoughts slowed down a little.

"His" Spirit Body Threads were grabbed by Klein.

Using the chaos brought by the "star," Klein dispelled the combination he had with the corresponding concepts, and he secretly "Grafted" the location of both parties and arrived behind Amon.

Originally, without the concept of "Reassembly," the star's influence on the surroundings would immediately stop. However, Klein had "Fooled" time, allowing the effects of the first two seconds to linger until now, allowing him to fool Amon.

If possible, what Klein wished to do now was to deepen the control of Amon's Spirit Body Threads and turn "Him" into his marionette. However, he knew very well that in the present situation, the probability of success was very low: On the one hand, Amon could withstand damage and steal the Spirit Body Threads back. On the other hand, "He" might be able to use the connection established between the two of them via the Spirit Body Threads to use a bug and influence Klein and "Parasitize" him.

Before he had absolute confidence, Klein didn't want his actions to appear rash.

The main goal of capturing Amon's Spirit Body Threads was to give the other party a certain sense of sluggishness.

This was a performance of the "Fooling" authority during the stage of transforming into a marionette. And with Klein's present state, he was naturally more willing to choose such a low-level but effective method. This would be less of a burden on him, and it wouldn't seriously affect his mental stability like when he used the authority of "Fooling."

At this moment, apart from Amon, his enemy also included the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings in his body.

Of course, Amon was the same. If "He" didn't suppress the Celestial Worthy's madness, the latter would have already revived in "His" body.

After creating a brief pause in Amon's thoughts, Klein had three choices:

The first was to take this opportunity to escape Sefirah Castle, but he wasn't sure if Amon's instincts were still working and would still attempt to stop him from escaping.

Second, it was to summon the projections of the Historical Void, but it wasn't of much use. The effects of an angel-level existence could do little in this battle of gods. It was possible that they couldn't withstand Amon's gaze, much less "Their" historical projections. Even if Klein wanted to use it to transmit information, it lacked sufficient value—the other deities couldn't enter Sefirah Castle and provide help.

Third, he could use this opportunity to exert a certain amount of influence on Amon's true body.

Without any hesitation, Klein chose the third plan.

He wanted to take the opportunity to "Graft" Amon, Sefirah Castle, and the door of light that was stained with bluish-black together.

Klein felt that Amon's half-crazy state wasn't bad enough. "He" just appeared rather talkative, with him occasionally not grasping an opportunity. He wanted to make "Him" go crazier.

When Amon and Sefirah Castle completed the "Reassembly," the Celestial Worthy's will in "His" body would clearly strengthen, and the chaos in "His" mind would intensify.

That way, Amon would lack the rationality to restrain "Himself," making "His" actions more instinctive than being the result of a contemplative thinking process.

To Mr. Error who was an expert at "deceit," this would be fatal.

Of course, Klein could only maintain this kind of "Grafting" for a second. Exceeding this limit might mean that he would no longer be facing Amon, but the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.

When the time came, the other party would definitely gladly accept the gift of Sefirah Castle. "He" could then fight Sequence 0 The Fool with a sefirah, two Uniquenesses, and the corresponding Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics.

Originally, Klein could've relied on his "Fooling" authority to reduce Amon's intelligence, but firstly, he wasn't able to use power at this level for a long time in his current state. Secondly, as a dual-pathway true god, and a wielder of many authorities, the duration of the "Blind Stupidity" effect on "Him" was rather limited. Therefore, Klein had no choice but to take the risk of "Grafting" things in such a way.

And madness would accompany Amon, doing so until "He" found a new balance or met the best Psychiatrist.

In the blink of an eye, the translucent, cold mask appeared on Klein's face once again. A strange door of light that was stained with a hint of bluish-black suffused from Amon's body.

Sefirah Castle.

-x-X-x-

Amon and the strange door of light were "Grafted" together.

"His" face grimaced as the darkness in "His" eyes intensified.

At the same time, more slippery tentacles appeared under "His" classic black robe, fully showcasing the crazy feeling was completely displayed.

Just as Klein was preparing to sever the connection between Amon and Sefirah Castle and make "Him" maintain "His" madness, the corners of Amon's mouth curled up.

It was as if he was saying:

"Congratulations, you have fallen into a trap."

"His" face was immediately covered with a translucent mask that was similar to The Fool's Uniqueness, but one that was even more illusory.

Klein's mind tensed up, and without a second thought, he immediately used the authority of "Fooling" without any regard for the consequences.

But before he could react, his thoughts slowed down. He was in a dazed state that he didn't know what to do.

Fooling!

Amon actually used the temporary "Reassembly" between "Him" and Sefirah Castle to escape Klein's interference and activate the power of The Fool's domain.

Such an action completely exceeded his instincts and was more like a meticulous trap.

Amon didn't seem to be crazy enough!

This true god of the Error and Door pathways immediately removed the "Grafting" of "Himself" to Sefirah Castle, allowing the mysterious door that was tainted with hints of bluish-black to quickly fade away to prevent "Him" from being tainted further.

After dealing with this latent danger, Amon raised both hands, "His" thumbs and index fingers touching each other to form an oval.

In the oval, starlight lit up, perfectly embracing Klein's figure.

Right on the heels of that, Amon's hands suddenly parted to the side as though they were tearing something apart. This seemed to be a heavy task.

With the tearing sounds of paper, the area where Klein's body was in seemed to turn into glass. Under the intense impact, countless cracks appeared as they shattered bit by bit.

This was a form of regression and the destruction of space. Unable to withstand it at all, Klein's body could only turn into paper fragments that flew in the air as the surrounding void collapsed and shattered. These bits of paper were instantly swallowed up by the darkness.

By the time the space collapsed, Klein's paper figurines were almost exhausted.

Of course, he also relied on the level and traits of The Fool to forcefully escape the effects of "Blind Stupidity."

And at this moment, Amon had already split into countless figures. Some of them were purely avatars, some were replicas on the level of symbolism, while others were left behind from constantly "Blinking."

At that moment, the sky above Klein's head and the surrounding wilderness were occupied by Amons. "They" wore pointed hats and monocles, blocking every single loophole.

Some of these Amons transformed into old, mottled, bluish-black wall clocks. Some of "Them" turned into pure starlight, as though "They" were trying to create a cage. Some extended "Their" hands, doing different levels of "Theft." Some of the monocles glowed as "They" used various items that "They" had stolen from the past. Some simulated various abilities, either exerting limitations, interference, or attacks.

In the Marauder pathway, "Theft" was a core skill, one of its main symbols. The difference between it and a Seer's control of Spirit Body Threads was that, as one advanced through the Sequences, not only did its effects and success rate increase, it also obtained a deeper level of conceptualization.

At Sequence 9 to Sequence 7, "Theft" happened on items. At Sequence 6, "Theft" happened on Beyonder powers. After advancing to Sequence 5, "Theft" happened on thoughts and ideas. At Sequence 4 and Sequence 3, "Theft" became life, including parasitic theft at the physical level. And at Sequence 2 level, the range of "Theft" broadened to fate, identity, self-awareness, and Beyonder characteristics. As for Sequence 1, "Theft" could temporarily happen on time, anchors, and authorities.

Therefore, when an Error faced a true deity, "He" could also use "Theft" that had reached the level of authority.

With a gong, the ancient wall clocks paused in unison.

This caused the surrounding environment to freeze, causing the destroyed wilderness from the sun's blast to become extremely quiet. Even the destruction was frozen.

At that moment, Klein seemed to lose his body. All that was left was a translucent dark-colored cloak and a bizarre ice-cold mask.

Under the cloak and mask was rich darkness. Nothing could be seen other than the slippery and sinister tentacles that extended out.

In such a state, Klein seemed to escape the limitations of time. In a frozen environment, he moved like a fish. Through various cracks in reality or concept, he emerged from the encirclement of the Amons.

He once again used his "Fooling" authority.

This time, he "Fooled" time.

The ancient wall clocks vanished, and in the desolate wilderness that had almost completely collapsed, time returned to its normal flow. The Amons stopped "Their" attempts, suddenly merged into one, and "Blinked" behind Klein, preventing him from having a breather.

"His" left palm reached out, and as "He" retracted it, "He" clenched "His" fingers.

Around Klein, the space suddenly became shrouded in shadows, making it look like a thin fishnet veil.

The "fishnet veil" began to twist and reassemble, as though they formed a sufficiently strong cage that trapped Klein inside.

An illusory door appeared above the cage as it moved quickly without being fixed in place.

However, Klein's figure suddenly appeared outside the cell, as though he had never been sealed by Amon's Door authority.

He had "Fooled" history and had split his previous and future self.

Hence, the one imprisoned in the cell became his historical projection.

This was the Scholar of Yore's powers deepening under the "Fooling" authority.

As he had relied on an advancement ritual based on "Fooling" history, Klein's The Fool powers in such a domain were stronger than when he "Fooled" time and fate.

As soon as he escaped the spatial cell, Klein immediately used the Realm of Mysteries to create a new divine kingdom of The Fool. This was to stall for time and find a chance to stabilize his mental state. He had used the Fooling authority multiple times, and the weak balance in his body was on the verge of collapsing. If he didn't stabilize his mental state as soon as possible, the will of the Celestial Worthy would awaken further.

This was also a serious problem.

At this moment, a huge crystal monocle appeared in front of him.

On this monocle, layers of sparkling lights surged out and flooded him instantly.

Klein's mental state suddenly stabilized, but the price was to lose all his emotions and desires. He didn't even want to resist. All he wanted was to stand there quietly and wait for the impending destruction.

This was like an ordinary person being injected with a huge dose of anesthetic.

At the same time, an illusory book appeared in the layers of light.

The book opened, revealing a sentence:

"Tormented by the Lord of the Mysteries's mental corruption, Klein Moretti had always been in great pain and a state of extreme exhaustion. After the intense battle, he has finally reached his limits due to the influence of his mind. He had decided to give up and stop resisting."

Behind the huge crystal monocle, Amon, who was wearing a pointed hat and classic black robe, quickly outlined "Himself" like a mountain.

"He" looked at Klein, who had given up resisting, and "His" dark eyes turned lighter as the corners of "His" lips curled up.

"I stole it. How is it?"

Klein raised his head to look at Mr. Error, and he tried hard to open his mouth. He said weakly, "You were pulling off a deception from the beginning?"

Amon raised "His" hands and said with a smile, "Unfortunately, you realized it too late."

"He" made "His" thumbs and index fingers touch each other, forming an oval.

In the oval, starlight lit up, illuminating Klein's figure.

Right on the heels of that, Amon solemnly separated "His" hands, tearing apart the void where Klein and the surrounding environment relied on to live.

The void was like glass, shattering into pieces like the collapse of a skyscraper.

However, all the collapsing and destruction circled Klein's body without directly affecting him.

He was like a small fishing boat that calmly cruised through a storm. It appeared out-of-place and disharmonious, as though it didn't seem to belong here.

Amon raised "His" hand and adjusted "His" monocle on "His" right eye, the smile on "His" face somewhat faded.

A translucent cloak kept popping up and disappearing over the surface of Klein's body.

He looked at the mountain-like Amon, his eyes turning darker.

"From the moment you entered Sefirah Castle and said the first word, you began your deceit."

At that time, Amon said that "He" had taken the risk to release the suppression of the Lord of the Mysteries in "His" body, in exchange for the identity of Sefirah Castle's owner.

At that moment, Amon didn't take the opportunity to continue attacking Klein. "He" floated in midair and looked down at Mr. Fool.

Klein didn't make any attempts either. His tone was strangely calm, as though he was preparing something.

"If simply releasing the suppression of the Lord of the Mysteries's will allows you to enter Sefirah Castle at the cost of being half-crazy, Antigonus could've done so back then. The Annihilation Demonic Wolf, Flegrea, from even earlier could've done it as well. You and Mr. Door previously had countless opportunities.

"Clearly, it's impossible to invade Sefirah Castle by just making the Lord of the Mysteries awaken to a certain extent, and using half-craziness in concert with Error. There's no way you can find a usable bug in this matter unless you directly get 'Him' to replace you.

"Only when you possessed the Door authority to go anywhere did you see hope. By creating a back door and using bugs, you could make Sefirah Castle treat you as the Lord of the Mysteries and give you the corresponding authority.

"Of course, this will definitely require the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries to a rather dangerous state. Without this hidden identity, you won't be able to deceive Sefirah Castle without any reason.

"After absorbing Door's Uniqueness, you didn't immediately infiltrate Sefirah Castle to deal with me who was even weaker back then. It was because at that time, you were unable to completely withstand the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries's will, with you having just advanced.

"I believe you've already found a relatively safer solution. If I hadn't advanced to The Fool so quickly, you would've been able to enter Sefirah Castle in the best state to resolve everything sometime later. And now, you have no choice but to bring this plan forward. There's definitely a very serious problem with you.

"You took the initiative to throw out the price of becoming half-crazy to, on the one hand, make me think of countermeasures in this direction so as to lay a deadly trap in key areas, and on the other hand, you also wanted to divert attention and use this opportunity to conceal other problems.

"You're not half-mad at all."

Amon quietly listened to Klein's words. Rather abnormally, "He" didn't interrupt him, nor did "He" attempt to attack. Only when Klein was done did "He" say with an odd expression, "You're crazy."

-x-X-x-

Upon hearing Amon's "you're crazy," Klein raised his head and laughed out loud.

"I just gave up according to your arrangements. It's just that it's more complete than you think."

As he spoke, an illusory brand appeared on the forehead of the ice-cold and bizarre mask he was wearing.

It was a strange door of light that was tainted with bluish-blackness.

As for Klein, he was also enveloped in something similar.

Under the translucent dark-colored cloak, more and more slippery and sinister tentacles appeared. They were densely packed and extended until they occupied the nearby sky.

As his dark eyes flashed, Klein looked at Amon and said with a smile, "For me, instead of you becoming the Lord of the Mysteries, wouldn't it be better if we let the past 'Him' revive?"

After his mental state stabilized and he figured out the key to Amon's surprise attack, Klein's thoughts of "giving up" removed his resistance towards the Lord of the Mysteries's will in his body, allowing "Him" to further revive.

It was precisely because of this that he was able to control Sefirah Castle at critical moments and borrow the power of "Error" to avoid the collapse of the space created by Amon.

Without waiting for Amon's response, the corners of Klein's lips curled up as he said with a smile, "After you were corrupted by Sefirah Castle and showed signs of madness, you immediately recovered and could use Sefirah Castle to create the effects of 'Blind Stupidity.' After releasing the suppression of the Lord of the Mysteries's will in you, you didn't enter a half-crazy state, as there are external powers helping you.

"You should have an extremely key important avatar. It might even be like Pallez's choice to lower 'His' level. It's sleeping at Adam's place, and it allows a Visionary like 'Him' to personally protect your mental state. As long as the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries's will doesn't exceed the limits of what Adam can withstand, you won't go crazy here if you don't lose control there.

"Therefore, your most serious problem is that you have to maintain a normal connection with that body. Once it's interfered with, your condition will be in trouble. And this connection is actually very weak under Sefirah Castle's isolation effect.

"You deliberately showed a half-crazed state for two reasons. Other than luring me to find an opportunity in this direction and stepping on the trap you set up, you were also hiding this fact so that I won't be able to target this aspect while engaging in a battle with you.

"Of course, there are plenty of problems outside these ones. After all, you aren't fully prepared. If I had discovered these problems earlier, even if I was a King of Angels with the Uniqueness, there's no way for me to defeat you."

Amon listened quietly and raised "His" hand to adjust the crystal monocle in "His" right eye. The corners of "His" lips curled up as "He" let out a sigh with a smile.

Upon seeing this, Klein smiled and shook his head.

"You truly are powerful, cunning, and terrifying, truly worthy of the title of 'God of Deceit.' If it wasn't for the fact that I had long considered what I would do when forced into a corner by you and had no other choice, I definitely would've hesitated just now. And if I hesitated slightly, I would've already died."

In that case, Amon would completely control Sefirah Castle, preventing Klein from returning from the fog of history for a resurrection.

Amon stared at the increasing number of sinister tentacles extending out from under Klein's dark-colored cloak. "He" slowly took a deep breath and said with a smile, "The Lord of the Mysteries in you is about to truly awaken."

Klein's smile had a nerve-wracking feeling to it.

"You can also compete with me on this point.

"Our next battle is very simple: It's a competition of who awakens the Lord of the Mysteries's will to a greater extent, a competition of whose control over Sefirah Castle is deeper. 50%, 70%, 90%, until we reach 100%. Then, with a bang, we explode and 'He' returns.

"What do you think? Are you going to take the bet? Let's see who can't hold on any longer first? It's very thrilling, very interesting, and very suited to your preferences. It's like the roulette that's popular in Feysac. Two people, each having a revolver and a bullet inside. They take turns pulling the trigger at their temples. Whoever gives up first results in his opponent winning. And if no one gives up and persists until the end, there won't be a winner. 'He' will be the winner."

Amon's brows pricked up as "He" smiled without saying a word.

Klein looked at "Him," and said with a smile, "Although you've always been pursuing thrills and are known to be a risk-taker, you achieve your goals most of the time. Not only do you not lose much, you often gain a lot. And in the few failures that you do experience, you only lose some of your avatars and some items. You've never suffered any serious injuries or been placed in a desperate situation.

"Your every action is a product of meticulous planning. Even if you fail, you will have a way out.

"Does this mean that you value your life more than I imagined? You do like thrills and seek it for pleasure, but to do so regardless of the price is just an image you portray. How can a real God of Deceit wager a bet with 'Himself' at stake?

"Of course, this is just my own guess. Perhaps it's wrong. Anyway, do you want to take the bet?"

Amon stroked the crystal monocle and made a tsk like Medici.

"You're really crazy."

Klein replied with a smile, "In the eyes of others, this is indeed insane.

"But to me, it's just a choice.

"Compared to you, I'm more willing to believe in the former Lord of the Mysteries. 'He' is a true Great Old One, looking down on the Universe from high above and treating most of the living beings as insects. This would make 'Him' distance 'Himself' from reality.

"Besides, I should still have time to get the Genie to be my witness. I'll get the Lord of the Mysteries to promise me certain things. To 'Him,' it's very simple and worthless."

Having said that, the corners of Klein's mouth curled up as he said,

"I won't lose too much, just myself.

"There are always some things that are more important than others."

Amon maintained "His" smile but didn't say a word.

Klein then surveyed the area and found the Magic Wishing Lamp and Trunsoest Brass Book among the floating fragments of the wilderness.

He immediately laughed out loud.

"Look, I didn't get punished. This means that I'm not lying. I'm telling the truth."

In fact, the laws set up by the Trunsoest Brass Book had long been abolished since the divine kingdom was destroyed during the star's descent. Later on, the Amons dared to attempt to use "Steal," but Klein's main goal wasn't to prove anything, but to show his determination, firmness, or perhaps madness.

Of course, what he said was the truth. He was indeed willing to put them into practice. Otherwise, there was no way he could hide it from Amon or exert enough pressure on "Him."

Amon smiled and said without a hint of panic, "Sounds interesting."

"Isn't it? Let's begin," Klein replied without hesitation as his eyes turned darker.

Amon's smile froze as "His" palms suddenly gathered together.

Beneath "His" classical black robe, there were also slippery and sinister tentacles.

"His" aura changed a little as "His" body seemed to have a dark cloak on it.

At that moment, Amon became more like the Lord of the Mysteries.

However, "He" wasn't competing with Klein in the progression of the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries. Instead, "He" was using this to deceive Sefirah Castle to create a corresponding "Bug" and creating a chance to escape.

If the authority of the Error were to take effect at the same level, it would often have different preconditions:

First, the medium and target had to be similar enough; second, there was a certain connection between the two; third, there were certain logical contradictions between certain matters or objects; fourth, some of the rules were indeed incomplete; fifth, while not directly affecting the target, construct an "Erroneous" environment as a divine kingdom...

In this aspect, the restrictions of "Fooling" were even fewer, but once an "Error" satisfied the conditions, it would be difficult to defend against or terminate it.

Amon now wanted to take the initiative to disguise "Himself" and satisfy the first category.

This was similar to the invasion of a virus. First, it had to make the other party believe that they were on the same side to avoid detection and then paralyze any defenses to achieve their respective goals.

When a fruit looked like a strawberry, smelled like a strawberry, tasted like a strawberry, then it would basically be considered as a strawberry.

But in reality, there might be an exception.

At this moment, Amon's appearance resembled that of the Lord of the Mysteries. "His" aura was like the Lord of the Mysteries, and "His" powers were like the Lord of the Mysteries. "His" mental imprint was also similar to the Lord of the Mysteries. With the authority of an "Error," it would naturally make Sefirah Castle believe that "He" was the Lord of the Mysteries.

Suddenly, Klein's damaged The Fool divine kingdom completely collapsed. The grand and ancient palace and the mottled table inside appeared.

The grayish-white fog beneath Sefirah Castle rose and enveloped the space.

The grayish-white fog split into two waves. They clashed fiercely in a particular spot, producing vortexes one after another. They tore open a gap that led to reality.

The power of Sefirah Castle was at odds with itself in this second. It was as though it didn't know which Lord of the Mysteries to obey.

Amon's figure immediately vanished, using Door's authority to rush out of Sefirah Castle.

Just as "He" touched the edge, "His" body paused before being sent flying backward.

At The Fool's seat, the corners of Klein's lips curled up as he sat there. His glabella and the strange door of light around him became more obvious, as though they were corporeal.

This released an immense convergence force that reached an unimaginable level. It was like an invisible hand that pulled Amon back!

Amon's body suddenly split apart, transforming into countless "selves."

And in front of every Amon, an illusory astral door appeared.

Silently, the astral doors opened at the same time, but in the endless darkness behind the doors, slippery and sinister tentacles appeared, blocking Amon's escape.

At the tip of the tentacles, resplendent starlight lit up as they instantly enveloped the Amons.

The Amons couldn't help but gather together, turning into a conceptual cluster.

These concepts included but weren't limited to pointed hats, classical black robes, monocles, fate, time, keys, doors, bugs, and trojan horses.

Klein slowly stood up and smiled at the conceptualized Amon who was now in a passive state.

"You can also awaken the Lord of the Mysteries's will further, but this is different from death. It'll definitely affect the body at Adam's side."

A conceptualized Amon rapidly gained a physical form. "He" relied on the "Door" authority to escape from "His" current state.

The corners of "His" mouth curled into a smile, but "He" didn't respond to Klein. "He" seized this opportunity to use the "Error" authority to deceive; using an avatar outside that "He" had prepared ahead of time, it could be used to replace "Him" and swap places with "Him."

This was similar to the swapping of marionettes in the Seer domain, but at this level, the principles were different. It wouldn't be affected in most situations.

However, Amon still failed.

"He" realized that "His" "Error" authority had been forcefully suppressed.

As Klein slowly got up, more slippery and sinister tentacles appeared around him. The smile on his face became more exaggerated.

Right on the heels of that, Amon's eyes glazed over and the smile on his face froze as the crystal monocle lost its luster.

At the same time, the cold, bizarre mask on Klein's face squirmed.

The "Blind Stupidity" effect!

In the next second, he "Grafted" himself to a certain concept in the cosmos, and he used his authority to influence the corresponding environment.

The surrounding slippery tentacles aimed at Amon, like revolvers.

In Amon's eyes that were still glazed over, a supernova exploded.

An unimaginable sea of scorching light surged out, shattering "His" monocle and drowning "His" body.

-x-X-x-

Behind the endless curtain of darkness, in the darkness with aqueous light ebbing gently.

A young man with black hair, black eyes, a broad forehead, and a thin face suddenly sat up as though he had experienced a nightmare.

Dressed in a classic black robe, "He" stretched out "His" right hand, attempting to take out a crystal monocle from the void and wear it over "His" right eye.

But this time, "He" didn't obtain anything.

"His" right hand paused in midair for two seconds before "He" retracted it and pinched the right eye rim.

At this moment, "He" heard a gentle but emotionless voice:

"To him, there's something more important than life.

"To you, apart from yourself, there's nothing worth caring about.

"When the matter develops to a point where one's life is put on the line, it would imply your loss."

The corners of Amon's mouth curled up as though "He" wanted to smile and reply, but "He" ultimately didn't say anything.

The voice continued:

"Born as a Mythical Creature, your lack of normal anchors is also a problem.

"This makes you know what courage and sacrifice are, but it's hard for you to understand."

Amon's expression changed as "He" stood up from the slightly glistening darkness.

"He" looked at the human-skinned glove that was thrown to the side before but seemed to be very happy. "He" retracted "His" gaze and curled the corners of "His" lips.

"This seems very interesting.

"I plan to leave this place and enter the cosmos. That place is much more exciting than the real world. Perhaps I'll understand the two things you mentioned as a result of this."

"That's very dangerous. Once you enter the cosmos, and before I succeed, I won't be able to provide any help. However, this will let you avoid 'Him' at least," the calm and indifferent voice replied without any emotion.

Amon didn't say another word. "He" raised "His" hand and pinched "His" right eye rim and vanished from the endless shadow screen.

...

In the ancient palace above the fog.

As Amon was completely obliterated under the power of a supernova, Klein couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

If he had a choice, he naturally didn't want to sacrifice himself to revive the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. He hoped to personally protect this world and seek out the meaning of life again.

Of course, if he didn't have a choice, he wouldn't hesitate to awaken the Celestial Worthy. He was certain that he could do this, and Amon was also aware of this. Therefore, "He" didn't force him, and only attempted to escape.

In the battle just now, it had developed into a battle of courage towards the end. The one who wasn't afraid of true death would yield the absolute advantage.

Clearly, Amon wasn't prepared to sacrifice "Himself" for this matter.

After heaving a sigh of relief, Klein's face under the cold and bizarre mask suddenly grimaced.

Under his translucent dark-colored cloak, the slippery and sinister tentacles that extended out were either hitting the ground or rising up high. It was completely out of his control.

He could feel that the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings in his body was rapidly waking up, and it seemed like he couldn't stop it.

Even if Klein directly died with his will and relied on the powers of a Miracle Invoker to revive, he wouldn't be able to escape, as the Lord of the Mysteries also wielded the authority of "Miracles."

At that moment, Klein recalled the words of Dark Angel Sasrir, which was also from the ancient sun god:

"The Primordial One had awoken in my body..."

In the next second, at the spot where Amon's body had shattered, beams of light were pulled by a vague invisible form of gravity as they charged towards Klein.

Some were Worms of Time with twelve rings, some were insects made of resplendent starlight, while some were just large numbers of light dots...

Klein wanted to stop the Beyonder characteristics from fusing with him, but the increasingly powerful Celestial Worthy's will prevented him from succeeding.

His body swelled into a balloon, and then suddenly became thin as paper. This repeated itself in an endless loop.

The mask on his face became brighter and more bizarre. The slippery and evil tentacles that extended out from under his cloak increased and became more uncontrollable.

One Worm of Time Beyonder characteristic, one Key of Star Beyonder characteristic, and one... Klein's mind felt like he was being devoured by an invisible monster, producing excruciating pain.

Finally, a pair of eyes, which seemed to be formed from pure starlight, formed from layers of illusory doors and crystal monocles, rushed towards Klein's face, straight for the mask's eye sockets.

Almost at the same time, the strange door of light that was tainted with bluish-blackness appeared on Klein's body again.

Sefirah Castle!

At that moment, Klein, Sefirah Castle, Door's Uniqueness, and Error's Uniqueness, all had a strong inclination to congregate.

Once they fused together, the Lord of the Mysteries would completely awaken and complete "His" resurrection process.

Klein suddenly used his right hand to cover half of his face.

His entire body bent down as if he was fighting with another "self."

With the anchoring and image disruption from his anchors, Klein finally slowed down the awakening of the Lord of the Mysteries's will, reducing the power of convergence by a little.

The starlight eyes and the crystal monocle stopped in front of Klein's face, floating only a few centimeters in the air like planets revolving around the sun.

Klein believed that he couldn't maintain this extreme imbalance for too long. Perhaps a few minutes or even dozens of seconds later, the convergence would continue without restraint, bringing about an unbearable change.

"Haha, this can be considered a form of fusion." Klein laughed in an unstable manner.

Then, he "Fooled" the Trunsoest Brass Book, allowing it to enter a sealed state and fly into the junk pile.

Right on the heels of that, Klein left Sefirah Castle and arrived in the astral world formed from symbolism and authority.

This place seemed similar to the cosmos. It was dark and vast, but in fact, there were many unique aspects to it. For example, even though there was a sun-like star hanging in the distance, emitting normal light and heat, if one tried to get close to it, without getting injured, one would realize that the astral world there was like a black curtain. The sun was directly painted with pastel colors, and there were a bunch of concepts and symbols surrounding it.

Furthermore, the drawing of the sun wasn't that nice, like a child without any foundation in art casually scrawled about. It was both comical and frightening.

From another perspective, this might be a manifestation of the chaos and madness that underlay everything.

As soon as Klein entered, he immediately sensed invisible gazes.

Some of them came from areas protected by the world barrier, while others came from broader areas with obvious malice.

The corners of Klein's mouth couldn't help but curl up. He suddenly turned his head and looked outside the world barrier, raising his slippery and sinister tentacles.

This pair of eyes that seemed forged from starlight and the crystal monocle also moved.

All of a sudden, all the attention from the cosmos shrank back. Only the hand-drawn crimson moon was left hanging there as it flashed with light.

"Haha." Klein laughed as he came to a dark kingdom filled with night vanilla and slumber flowers.

At the same time, the Evernight Goddess appeared at the borders of the divine kingdom in a layered, star-speckled dress. "Her" face was covered in a translucent black veil.

"She" didn't transform into "Her" giant form as "She" looked at him at eye level before raising "Her" right hand and revealing the bird-shaped, golden accessory.

At the head of the bird-shaped, golden accessory, a series of illusory doors appeared in the bronze-like eyes, allowing a drop of colorless water that had a strong aura of eternal stillness to land on Klein's cold and bizarre mask.

The will of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings entered a state of eternal slumber. Likewise for a majority of Klein's consciousness. All he had was a tiny bit of lucidity.

Under such circumstances, he made the mask retract, and he transformed the cloak into a black windbreaker.

Then, he made the crystal monocle turn into a pair of black gloves, making the eyes forged from starlight to turn into a cane inlaid with star speckles.

This was only a change in appearance, but it didn't change anything in reality. Once the two items were separated from Klein, they would return to their original state. Of course, if Klein stabilized himself, he could accommodate them and change their corresponding concepts and symbols over and over again, allowing them to change their forms forever.

"This can't be sustained for too long. It just delays the matter for a while." The Evernight Goddess gently reminded him. "If the River of Eternal Darkness's water is used repeatedly, the Lord of the Mysteries will awaken even faster. This is because 'He' will trigger some unknown changes and adjust 'His' condition. Similarly, the specialness of Sefirah Castle and my blessing will gradually be erased, allowing you to enter a state of eternal slumber."

It was as though Klein wasn't discussing his own matters. He smiled and nodded.

"Got it."

The Evernight Goddess said in a tone that seemed to be comforting Klein's psyche,

"Regarding this matter, the method Amon used, and the actions 'He' did had exceeded my expectations. 'He' is indeed the true God of Deceit.

"It's not that you have no chance at all in what comes next. You can first try to completely control Sefirah Castle and pull the will of the Lord of the Mysteries to enter a state of eternal slumber. In the dream, you can resist and fuse with 'Him.' I can bless you, but the most important thing is still left to you.

"Becoming a Great Old One doesn't have any rituals involved. No ritual can change the awakening of the Primordial One's will, but the ancient sun god believes that the order to accommodate them can increase one's self-awareness to a certain extent, increasing the success rate of the matter.

"First become a Sequence 0 of a pathway, then control and fuse with the sefirah. Only then do you accommodate the other Uniquenesses. That's the best order.

"Become a dual-pathway true god and then controlling and fusing with a sefirah is an order that isn't good or bad.

"Only fusing with the sefirah at the final step will be the worst choice."

Klein smiled and said, "That's a good idea. As long as one wakes up, a Lord of the Mysteries will be born.

"This might be 'Him,' or me. Yes, after completely controlling Sefirah Castle and entering a state of eternal slumber, I should be able to weaken the seal of the Western Continent, creating a weak spot that allows one to enter and exit."

The Evernight Goddess didn't say a word when "She" heard Klein's words.

Klein continued smiling.

"This is my choice.

"I had anticipated this day a long time ago. I will finally face 'Him.'"

-x-X-x-

The Evernight Goddess nodded and didn't say anything else. "She" reached out "Her" palm and grabbed a corner of the void and tugged lightly.

A thin layer of a "night curtain" gently floated down, covering Klein's body as it silently seeped in.

Klein silently took in the blessings from the dream for two seconds. He pressed his hand to his chest and bowed.

He took two steps back and left the astral world.

The Evernight Goddess stood at the borders of the divine kingdom as "She" watched him leave.

In the next second, Klein landed in the projection of the Giant King's Court in the ruins of the battle of gods.

Then, like Amon, he walked to the edge of the grayish-blue door and raised his hand to create a blue illusory door.

Through the door, Klein entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Following the guidance of fate, he "Wandered" straight to the peak of a mountain range.

There was a huge crucifix erected there, one covered with a faint shadow.

Klein stared at the shadow for a few seconds before sighing slightly. He bent down and picked up an ancient silver mirror that was placed near the huge cross.

Then, he turned around and vanished from the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

At the same time, the Worms of Spirit, who didn't need to be on duty in Sefirah Castle, informed him of Queen Mystic's current location. Klein raised his hand and took out the Magic Wishing Lamp from the junk pile. Using the ownership connection between it and Bernadette, he used another "Wandering" to appear on a rather hidden island where Emerald City was.

Bernadette was flipping through the latest album catalog from Intis. Just as she sensed something, she saw Gehrman Sparrow hand her the Magic Wishing Lamp.

"Thank you," Klein said in a very normal voice.

Bernadette pursed her lips as though she wanted to say something, but at that moment, her eyes flashed as though she had seen something and prophesied something. Hence, she silently reached out and took the Magic Wishing Lamp.

Klein then took out a metal cigar case that had signs of corrosion on its surface.

"This is your payment."

Even without the Eye of Mystery Prying, Bernadette could sense that the iron cigar case was extraordinary. She could roughly guess what kind of corrosion had happened to it.

However, she didn't choose to accept it because of that reason, but she suddenly felt that she had no reason to reject it.

She hesitated for a moment before taking the iron cigar case.

If he was still in a rather crazy state like before, Klein definitely would've smiled and said in an exaggerated manner the moment Bernadette hesitated. "This is a gift from Uncle. Take it!"

But now, he was only left with that last bit of lucidity. He had to put in a lot of effort to prevent himself from falling asleep and not having the impulse to act like a clown.

After leaving Bernadette's Emerald City, Klein seized the opportunity to "Wander" to Backlund, to Dr. Aaron Ceres's home.

Will Auceptin, who was sitting in a pile of toys, raised his head and looked at Dwayne Dantès in front of him. His tears suddenly streamed down as he choked.

"I finally feel the opportunity."

"He" was referring to the opportunity for accommodating the Fate pathway's Uniqueness.

Klein squatted down and said without any expression, "I am here to help you accommodate it.

"I'll steal your childhood and youth and allow you to instantly grow up. Then, by relying on a level of Above the Sequences but below that of a Great Old One, I'll forcefully help you to accommodate the Die of Probability.

"Of course, that alone won't be enough. It will require an additional 'Fooling' and use of a 'Bug.'"

The tears that Will Auceptin dripped down suddenly stopped. "He" muttered in astonishment, "So the two choices are actually the same."

Typically speaking, the accommodation of a pathway's Uniqueness required one to be naturally born with it, seek an existence at the level of a Great Old One to help, or rely on a simplified advancement ritual to complete it. There was no other possibility.

The Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin, clearly wasn't born with the Uniqueness, and only had the two options left to consider.

"His" focus had been on holding a simplified ritual, which was to wait for the opportunity of fate. Who knew that this opportunity was actually when Klein was approaching the level of a Great Old One. In essence, it was the second method.

With this in mind, the chubby child, Will Auceptin, cried even harder. He felt as though he had been deceived by fate.

"Let the Life School of Thought's demigod send over the Die of Probability. Normally, with your luck, the Die of Probability should be by your side." Klein ignored Will's crying. "Let's begin as soon as possible. I don't have much time left."

Will stopped and looked at Klein for a moment before he said, slightly choking, "Forget it, let's wait for the next opportunity.

"Given your current state, it would be a huge burden for you to forcibly help me accommodate it. Perhaps you would lose control on the spot. I don't want to face the Lord of the Mysteries.

"Okay, next time. I have a premonition..."

With that said, Will looked into Klein's eyes and said, "I have a feeling that the next opportunity will be better."

Klein maintained his reverie-like expression as he said in a low voice, "Is this a prophecy?"

Will Auceptin's tears flowed again.

"No, it's a blessing."

Klein nodded slightly, stood up, and took a step back.

During this process, his figure gradually faded away and soon disappeared.

He returned to Sefirah Castle and sat on the high-back chair, allowing the grayish-white fog to envelop him.

After surveying the area and confirming the states of the crimson stars, Klein leaned back in his chair in exhaustion and slightly raised his right hand.

This time, he didn't create the fake World again.

On the two sides of the long mottled table, crimson beams of light shot out at the same time, freezing into the members of the Tarot Club—The Hanged Man, The Sun, The Hermit, The Magician, and the rest.

This sudden gathering was clearly beyond Audrey's and company's expectations. It left them surprised and alarmed.

Before that, although they had come to Mr. Fool's divine kingdom on occasions that weren't a Monday afternoon, it was all planned. They knew in advance that they would be dragged here—they would've either applied for a mini gathering in advance, avoid the full moon ravings, or treat Mr. World with psychological problems.

It could be said that, apart from the first time, this was the second time they were summoned by Mr. Fool without any warning.

This made even the slowest members of the club catch the hint of uneasiness and feel the air freeze.

Thinking back to The World Gehrman Sparrow's visit and the words of Mr. Fool's Blessed, Audrey, Alger, and Xio simultaneously had similar thoughts:

Is it finally here?

Audrey subconsciously turned her head and looked down at the bottom end of the long mottled table. There was no one there.

Although she was already mentally prepared, Audrey couldn't help but be stunned as emotions of uncontrollable sadness surged within her.

In her heart, The World Gehrman Sparrow's image had long since turned from a crazy adventurer and an extremely dangerous Beyonder to a person who wore a cold and tough facade but was a gentle, powerful, loving, mysterious, and lonely man who was burdened with many friends on his back.

She believed that amongst the Tarot Club members, she knew The World the best apart from Mr. Star.

And now, this friend seemed to have encountered some misfortune, leaving behind only an empty seat.

The Tarot Club lost its first official member.

Where did Klein go... Leonard suddenly felt a little flustered.

In this world, he was the only one he could befriend.

Previously, when Klein suddenly appeared in the Southern Continent and threw the gold coin into the cathedral's donation box, Leonard had already had a strange premonition. He had the feeling that Klein was about to receive the judgment of fate and was bidding farewell to the past.

This was the same as the time back in Tingen when they decided to step out together and face Megose.

Old Man's recent silence has been a little bizarre... Could something really have happened to Klein? With Mr. Fool's level and status, as long as there's a chance, he should be able to be saved... Leonard's heart tightened as he suddenly turned his body and cast his gaze at Mr. Fool at the top end of the long mottled table.

This mighty existence was still enveloped by the grayish-white fog, preventing others from seeing "His" condition.

At this moment, Emlyn, Cattleya, and Derrick also discovered Mr. World's absence.

Coupled with the suddenness of this gathering, they were both shocked and puzzled. They didn't know what had happened, but their instincts told them that it wasn't a good thing.

As a Clairvoyant who had recently advanced, Cattleya even felt that there was a certain problem with Mr. Fool.

Mr. World isn't here... Xio had previously mentioned that Mr. Fool and "His" few Blessed were about to face a major challenge, and it's very likely that they would suffer a bad fate... Fors was also somewhat alarmed, inevitably having a strong fear due to some unknown change.

She had once thought that she would sigh in relief because of Mr. World's disappearance, but from the looks of it, it wasn't like that. Instead, she found her heart heavy and a little horrified.

Only then did she realize that at some point in time, The World had become the pillar of support for the Tarot Club outside of Mr. Fool. It made everyone feel at ease when they saw him.

Of course, some fear was unavoidable.

As Justice Audrey and company turned around and looked at the top end of the long mottled table, Klein, who was already the real Fool, said in a low voice, "This is a last-minute gathering."

Mr. Fool is very exhausted... Audrey, who sensed this, felt her heart tighten.

She looked around and stood up as usual.

After the members of the Tarot Club stood up one after another, Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt with a heavy heart and curtsied at the end of the long mottled table.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."

-x-X-x-

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."

The other members of the Tarot Club appeared rather solemn as they followed Miss Justice's usual greeting.

After they sat down again, The Fool Klein surveyed the area and slowly said, "I will be entering a state of slumber."

Upon hearing this, Alger, Audrey, Xio, and Fors felt like their speculations had finally been confirmed. Leonard, Emlyn, Derrick, and the other Tarot Club members felt their hearts sink as they became increasingly flustered and filled with puzzlement.

Of course, they weren't that surprised. The abnormal last-minute gathering and the abnormality of The World's absence seemed to indicate that something important had happened today.

Klein maintained his last bit of clarity and said in his previous tone, "This involves a war that's at the level of 'Above the Sequences.' It has something to do with the apocalypse to a certain extent."

Indeed... Alger acutely caught the words "Above the Sequences."

He had long suspected that there was another level above Sequence 0: the one occupied by the ancient sun god when "He" had eight Kings of Angels.

Now, Mr. Fool had finally confirmed his guess and resolved many of his doubts.

Cattleya and company also noticed the hidden message in Mr. Fool's words. Those who had similar guesses like The Hanged Man felt enlightened, while the ones who had never had such guesses were inevitably surprised and confused when they heard it. However, they quickly combined what they had learned from the past and came to a realization.

The Fool Klein continued, "Only after you become an angel do you have the right to know the exact situation. Otherwise, just understanding it will bring corruption."

This made the Tarot Club members think of the words "underground" and "cosmos." They were momentarily unable to contain their thoughts.

Klein looked at the end of the long mottled table and said, "My Blessed, The World, has entered a deep slumber. It's unknown when he will wake up."

Then what should be done? Leonard nearly blurted out, but he could clearly sense that Mr. Fool hadn't finished his sentence. Therefore, he forcefully held back his urge.

The Fool Klein swept his gaze across him.

"Next is a long-term commission for all members:

"Spread my name more widely, but don't clash with the orthodox Churches. When necessary, you can choose to use a more concealed method to proselytize.

"This will aid in my awakening.

"Also, spread the news of The World being my Blessed, and record it in the Church's Holy Bible. Of course, do not include information that involves his personal information.

"Remember one sentence: The awakening of The World spells The Fool's return."

Klein wanted to increase his number of anchors. This might be useful in the battle with the Lord of the Mysteries in his dream.

At the same time, he wanted to mold The World into a saint of the Church of The Fool, an angel beside the divine throne, so that this image could also greatly share an image with the believers and obtain his own anchors.

To put it simply, Klein planned on having a believer contribute two sets of anchors. After all, to him, be it The Fool or The World, all of them were just an identity of his. Furthermore, the image created by anchors wouldn't be uniform. They were different and wouldn't affect him.

At the level of The Fool, the Church would spread the name of the deity, The Fool's Sacred Emblem, and all kinds of religious teachings without any concrete images. As for The World, he had quite a number of identities, such as Gehrman Sparrow, Dwayne Dantès, and Merlin Hermes. It wouldn't fixate on a single image.

"The reward is the convenience you have enjoyed in the past, the responses you received, and the corresponding help given to your future prayers," The Fool Klein said without a change in tone. "After I begin my slumber, I can still respond to my prayers in a certain way, but not every time. If there's something very important that needs help, pray a few more times."

He could tell from Antigonus's state of eternal slumber, that dreams could be projected outside. As long as the correct method was used, a sleeping deity could make use of the dream to a certain extent to respond to prayers.

Regarding this situation, the members of the Tarot Club weren't stumped by it at all.

On the one hand, most of them were either openly or secretly spreading the faith of The Fool. On the other hand, it was very common to pray to deities without receiving a response. Mr. Fool's responses from before were considered extremely rare. They had almost never heard of anything like this happening elsewhere.

To be able to receive a response through repeated prayers on important matters was better than most of the clergymen of the orthodox Churches!

"Yes, Mr. Fool." The Tarot Club members didn't hesitate at all as they accepted the long-term commission.

Among them, Leonard was the one that answered from the bottom of his heart. He was most eager and impatient.

To him, spreading the faith and biblical canon of Mr. Fool was to awaken Klein.

This made him instantly find the motivation to do something else other than his usual work.

At this moment, The Fool Klein nodded slightly and cast his gaze at Cattleya.

"The previous commission—to gather all the information regarding the Hidden Sage suddenly coming to life—is still effective.

"If you wish to take the risk, then go further and investigate the present state of the Hidden Sage.

"This will be very dangerous. You can reject it, and the reward is a wish."

Cattleya thought for a moment and said, "Honorable Mr. Fool, is this related to awakening you? Is it related to surviving the apocalypse?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I can't give you a definite answer right now. I just see some visions." This time, Klein didn't deliberately create a high-level persona of The Fool, because he was already The Fool. "Also, watch over all your subordinates that are Beyonders of the Earth and Moon pathway."

Cattleya fell silent for a moment before slowly saying, "I'll accept this commission."

The Fool Klein cast his gaze to the other side and said to Derrick, "Your mission is to protect the New City of Silver and New Moon City and protect the Rorsted Archipelago. The more believers I have and the safer they are, the higher the chances of me waking up.

"On this foundation, think about how to expand the Church and spread the faith.

"Your payment is to become my Blessed."

Derrick's eyes suddenly burned as he recalled the encouraging gaze he had received from the Chief when he pushed open the final door of the Giant King's Court.

He took a deep breath and said in a firm tone, "Yes, Mr. Fool!"

Klein nodded and looked at Fors.

"You need to protect the Abraham family well to prevent them from suffering the temptation of the cosmos.

"Also, gather more information regarding the Fourth Epoch and figure out Mr. Door's condition at that time. Uncover some of the latent problems of the Abraham family."

"That's something I wish to do." Fors hesitated for a moment, but she still expressed that she would do such things even if she wasn't given the commission.

The Fool Klein didn't give his approval or disapproval. Instead, he said, "If you're willing, you can write down biographies and stories of The World's different identities using different aliases.

"The reward for above is that when you have a chance of becoming a Planeswalker and have to head to the cosmos, you will receive my blessings."

Although Klein knew that he could use a dream to give a response to a certain extent in his sleep, he wasn't sure if he was the one who had the upper hand or the Lord of the Mysteries. Therefore, he wished to use verbal contracts of providing a reward after the completion of a mission on more important matters. When the time came, even if he was at a disadvantage, he would be able to make use of this sort of invisible promise to give an ingenious response.

Planeswalker? Fors was taken aback.

To be frank, she had never considered this problem before. What she was worried about was the digestion of the Secrets Sorcerer potion and the Wanderer ritual.

Soon, she composed herself and said, "Yes, Mr. Fool."

Klein then cast his gaze at Emlyn.

"The besiegement of the Rose School of Thought involves preparations for the apocalypse. It's rather dangerous. Even if an angel is participating in it, you have to pay attention to your own safety.

"Your commission is to try your best to gather blessings, auras, and items given by the Primordial Moon to 'Her' believers in the Rose School of Thought. These might be more dangerous than a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact."

At that moment, although Klein still maintained The Fool's tone, there were hints that resembled a friend's warning.

This made Audrey, who had stabilized her initial mental state, sense something different.

Recalling what Mr. Fool had said to the other members, she sighed inwardly.

Mr. Fool's humanity seems to have become richer just as "He" is about to enter a deep sleep...

While Emlyn was slightly surprised and puzzled, Klein continued, "Apart from participating in the besieging of the Rose School of Thought's mission, I hope that you can form a pharmaceutical company and perform research on how to mass-produce the medicine with magical effects."

"If it's mass-produced, there's no way the products can be equipped with a magical effect," Emlyn replied instinctively.

The Fool Klein nodded.

"Seek out a compromise.

"Your main goal is to spread my name through this pharmaceutical company.

"The reward will also be a wish."

This isn't a matter of danger, but whether it's possible... The simplest solution is to give me a thousand Apothecary potions. I can form an Apothecary factory for mass production... Emlyn mumbled inwardly before replying seriously, "Yes, Mr. Fool."

Klein looked to the other side and said to Xio, "The apocalypse is approaching. Be it the Red Priest or the Demoness pathways, they will become active. Your mission is to rely on the official factions to investigate the whereabouts of the three Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics and the Uniqueness of the Red Priest pathway. If there's a chance, find a clue to confirm the Primordial Demoness's present condition. It's very dangerous."

Klein didn't mention the payment, because he had already paid for it.

Xio had her wish fulfilled by holding a ritual and becoming a Sequence 4 Imperative Mage.

As for the three Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristics of the Red Priest pathway, Klein had previously learned that one was in the hands of the Sauron family—the former Intis royal family—the other in the hands of the Feysac's Einhorn royal family, and the other was in the hands of the Loen's Augustus royal family. Later, as a reward, it was given to the Demoness Sect.

Of course, this was only a preliminary answer. The corresponding situation could very well have changed:

The Sauron family had already been in decline since Roselle's era. It might not necessarily be able to keep the Conqueror's Beyonder characteristic or corresponding Sealed Artifact under its control. Klein even suspected that it might have been obtained by the Iron and Blood Cross Order;

The failure of the war had significantly damaged the Einhorn family. Klein didn't rule out the possibility of the death of a high-level angel or the loss of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.

The location of the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic that the Augustus family gave to the Demoness Sect was currently the clearest. However, Klein knew that the Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhorn Medici, had been eyeing it all this time. Perhaps "He" had succeeded, or perhaps "He" was carrying out whatever plans "He" had.

There were no clues to the corresponding Red Priest Uniqueness at the moment. The last time the mysterious world knew of it was at the end of the Fourth Epoch, during the Pale Disaster.

-x-X-x-

Xio had always been looking forward and uneasy as to what her mission was.

She looked forward to it because she had already chosen to accept Mr. Fool's gift, so she definitely had to pay the corresponding price. Knowing the mission earlier allowed her to prevent unnecessary second-guessing due to the unknown, guesses that only led to greater fear.

She was uneasy because she knew that the remuneration she received was too generous. She believed that the final mission wouldn't be simple and would definitely be filled with danger.

At that moment, after hearing Mr. Fool's words, her heart finally settled. At the same time, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

Investigating the three Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics and the Uniqueness of the Red Priest pathway and their locations, and even confirming the present state of the Primordial Demoness was indeed very dangerous. It was a mission that would result in a terrifying corruption if she wasn't careful, but it was at least better than snatching the Uniqueness and Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics or directly facing the Primordial Demoness.

If it were the latter, even with the official factions supporting her, Xio didn't think that she could accomplish it. All she could do was write a will, ready to sacrifice herself at any moment. And if it was just the former, she could use a more roundabout method to obtain the information. She didn't need to encounter powerful existences with high statuses. As a Sequence 4 demigod, Xio was confident.

Without any hesitation, she immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Fool."

The Fool Klein had planned on looking to the other side. After some consideration, he added, "Be careful of Bansy."

Without waiting for the Tarot Club members to start making connections, Klein said to Leonard, "Your mission is similar to The Moon's. During the besiegement of the Rose School of Thought, gather blessings, auras, and items from the Mother Tree of Desire from their members. It's equally dangerous."

He only gave a single warning, without saying as much as he did like when he gave Emlyn the mission.

This was because Leonard had a senior angel from the Marauder pathway "Parasitizing" him. "He" knew many secrets and knew how dangerous the Outer Deities were. "He" wouldn't allow Leonard to act recklessly.

Seeing that Leonard was about to nod, The Fool Klein maintained his tone and continued, "You don't have to do too much in promoting my name. You can even choose not to do it."

As one of the twenty-two high-ranking members of the Church of Evernight, as one of the few high-ranking deacons of the Nighthawks, it was very easy for something to happen if Leonard spread the faith of The Fool in private. He would be misunderstood by his colleagues and cause unnecessary conflicts.

Miraculously, to Klein, The Moon Emlyn's actions didn't seem to be misunderstood in the same way. To the people and Sanguine around him, anything he did wasn't too strange.

That's right... Leonard had already recovered from his previous eagerness and realized the cruelty of reality.

However, he still wanted to do something.

At this moment, The Fool Klein added, "You can share the stories of The World with songs and poetry."

Songs and poetry... Leonard instinctively frowned. He didn't immediately respond to Mr. Fool.

Klein then said, "Other than that, try your best to raise your own level to prepare for the apocalypse.

"The reward for all the missions is a wish."

Although many Beyonder characteristics had fallen into the real world when the God of Combat died, bringing with them a batch of Beyonder creatures, mutated monsters, and abnormal lands, Klein didn't know how many Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics the Evernight Goddess had obtained from the Warrior pathway other than the Uniqueness, but at the very least, a number of the Sequence 2 angels of the Church of Evernight had the possibility of becoming a Sequence 1 angel.

At the same time, if "They" had obtained additional Beyonder characteristics, "They" could still switch to the corresponding Sequence of the Death pathway.

This would open a path for the saints to advance, not limiting them to just one pathway.

Of course, not every Sequence 3 saint wished to become an angel, but Leonard was currently only a Sequence 4 Nightwatcher. Furthermore, if the corresponding Sequence 3 Horror Bishop position was limited, he could consider Silver Knight and Ferryman—Klein had one set of the former.

Leonard fell silent for two seconds before he slowly exhaled.

"Yes, Mr. Fool."

The Fool Klein immediately cast his gaze at Miss Justice who had been waiting.

"Apart from promoting my name, you have two missions: One is to assist Judgment and investigate the whereabouts of the Red Priest pathway's Uniqueness and Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, confirming the present state of the Primordial Demoness. The other is to work hard to raise your level."

One of the missions is to increase my Sequence... Audrey was somewhat puzzled about this mission.

In her opinion, this seemed to be telling an ordinary person: Your mission is to earn even more money.

Furthermore, this isn't of any value to Mr. Fool. Could it be that he wants me to treat Mr. World? Just as this thought flashed across Audrey's mind, The Fool Klein added, "The higher your Sequence, the more opportunities you have to awaken The World.

"In this aspect, you can make use of external forces to help. The Psychology Alchemists that Hermes rebuilds will be one of the choices, but you need to be careful and take precautions.

"You have to pay a certain price for this.

"You can give up the reward you received before. This depends on your will and thoughts."

Audrey no longer had any doubts. After a moment of silence, she nodded solemnly.

"Yes, Mr. Fool."

Klein's gaze landed on Alger.

"You will know what your mission is in time to come."

Klein had already foreseen the corresponding scene.

Without waiting for Alger to speak, he continued, "You can bring the Sea God Scepter, but during this period of time, all the prayers of the Sea God believers will be transferred to The Sun, directly pointing at me."

Although Alger still couldn't accurately guess what his mission was, he already had a vague premonition. After a moment of thought, he replied in an upright manner, "Yes, Mr. Fool."

Klein retracted his gaze and looked around before slowly saying, "After this, on the first Monday afternoon of every month, you can still gather here, but there will be no convener.

"If you need to do a private, mini discussion, pray in advance and wait for a response."

At this point, The Fool Klein closed his eyes and said, "Let us end today's gathering here."

The Tarot Club members couldn't help but feel a baffling sense of sorrow. It was as though a grand ball was coming to an end.

They stood up at the same time and solemnly bowed towards the end of the long, mottled table.

"Your will is our will."

Klein waited until they finished speaking before he dispelled his control of them. He watched as the crimson starlight scattered and quickly fell.

After staring at the scene for a few seconds, he conjured a yellowish parchment and a dark red fountain pen.

After some thought, Klein simply wrote:

"Dear Mr. Azik,

"Due to some complicated reasons, I might be sleeping for a long time. I'm sorry, but I might not be able to write a letter to you for a long time..."

With just that sentence, Klein stopped and made the pen disappear.

Although he had conjured that piece of paper, with his current status, level, and strength, he could sustain it for more than a hundred years—even if it was brought to the outside world.

He closed his eyes again, summoned Azik's copper whistle, and blew it.

At the same time, he released some of the restrictions that came from Sefirah Castle.

The skeleton messenger appeared, and every bone in its body trembled intensely as if it would collapse at any moment.

If not for the letter that Klein had handed over, it might've prostrated itself.

After the skeleton messenger received the letter and left Sefirah Castle in a hurry, Klein rubbed his temples.

This wasn't because the will of the Celestial Worthy had already escaped from "His" state of eternal slumber, nor was it because of the pain from maintaining his lucidity; it was just a habit.

Klein slowly leaned back into his chair and sighed.

On both sides of the long, mottled table, Justice Audrey, The Hanged Man Alger, The Sun Derrick, The Magician Fors, The Moon Emlyn, The Hermit Cattleya, The Star Leonard, and Judgment Xio appeared in the order they joined the Tarot Club.

But this time, they weren't real. They were only projections. They no longer appeared blurry, revealing their images from Klein's memory.

Soon after, more figures appeared. They were:

A mature man with a receding hairline with deep eyes; a beautiful witch with blue eyeshadow and red blush; a middle-aged man with black hair mixed with silver hair, his voice unusually loud and sonorous; a woman in her late forties with ear-length short-hair; a youth that gamed on his phone while eating delicacies; a happy young lady who kept giggling; a civil servant who looked old than his age with a high hairline; a young girl dressed in an old-fashioned skirt who focused on machinery; a doll-like lady with a pale face; a teacher with soft facial features and bronze skin; a child licking on ice cream; a madam holding four heads; and an elder looking all serious at a bill...

They either sat or stood, gathering beside the people they knew. In the flickering candlelight on the long table, they discussed different things, followed the music, and danced.

Klein silently watched the lively scene as his expression gradually softened.

After an unknown period of time, he stood up, passed through them, and walked into the depths of this space.

Behind him, the figures, the candlelight, and the music faded away and disappeared.

When he saw the strange door of light above the grayish-white cloud, Klein beckoned for the magic mirror, Arrodes.

At that moment, the transparent or opaque worms and insects that clustered together to form spherical lights in the strange door of light turned bluish-black.

It was like a thick layer of fog that made one unable to see what was behind the door.

After Klein arrived, he didn't immediately enter. He felt as though there was an extremely terrifying monster behind the door, waiting to devour him.

He raised his head and looked at the transparent cocoons hanging above the door of light. He looked at the "modern" humans with different skin colors inside the cocoons.

Closing his eyes to sense them, Klein raised his right hand and closed his five fingers.

The cocoons cracked open as the people inside transformed into specks of light. They flew out of Sefirah Castle and landed in the real world, into the bodies of those who had just died.

After doing this, Klein lowered his head and looked at the magic mirror in his hand.

"Are you scared?"

The aqueous light on the surface of the ancient silver mirror swirled and the pale words outlined itself:

"No."

In the next second, Arrodes raised his own question according to the rules:

"Great Master, are you afraid?"

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched.

"Yes."

With that said, he took a step forward with the magic mirror in hand and walked towards the bluish-black fog in the middle of the strange door of light, passing through it.

His figure disappeared behind the door that had the unknown hidden behind.

The cracked "cocoons" were still gently swaying.

-x-X-x-