132 COI

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

As Lumian walked down the stairs, the sunlight was still bright, and Franca, Jenna, and Anthony were leisurely enjoying their afternoon tea.

Ludwig was also there, though not as relaxed.

"Is the Major Arcana meeting over?" Franca turned and asked curiously.

Lumian suddenly recalled various scenes from the majestic palace above the gray fog, nodded and said, "It's over."

"What can you tell us about it? Don't mention anything you're not supposed to." Franca had an expression that implied that she just wanted to broaden her horizons.

Lumian sat down in an armchair and said, using language he had learned in the dream city.

"There's not much to say. Today's meeting was quite ordinary. The Major Arcana cards mainly reported to Mr. Fool about their respective responsibilities, and Mr. Fool gave corresponding instructions."

"You seem to respect Mr. Fool quite a bit," Franca suddenly remarked.

"Why do you say that?" Lumian asked, somewhat surprised.

Franca snorted and glanced first at Jenna, then at Anthony. "Do I really need to answer such a simple question?"

Jenna, in sync with Franca, helped explain with a slight smile, "If it weren't for Mr. Fool, you would definitely add more adjectives before 'instructions, like 'high-level' or 'all-encompassing'."

This added a hint of teasing and playfulness.

"I've always been quite respectful towards deities, except for a few." Lumian said with a knowing smile.

He then said, "As someone attending a divine meeting for the first time. I had nothing to report. I only raised questions about Madame Pualis and her daughter Omebella, hoping to get answers from Mr. Fool."

"What did Mr. Fool say?" Jenna and Franca asked in unison.

Before Lumian could answer, points of starlight suddenly appeared in the void.

These starlight quickly sketched out the figure of Madam Magician.

She said to Lumian, Franca, and Jenna, "You can now go to the Blue Avenger to explore the treasury left by the Blood Emperor. I'll go with you to provide necessary assistance.

"Do you need to postpone for a while to make some preparations?"

The Tudor dynasty's treasure obviously consisted of Items mainly related to the Hunter pathway, supplemented by those of the Demoness pathway. and then some items from the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathways. It was very suitable for the three Demonesses to explore and obtain the Beyonder characteristics needed for normal advancement or pathway switching.

As for Anthony's advancement, other arrangements had been made.

And the further recovery of Ludwig's strength would have to wait until either Lumian or Franca reached Sequence 3, to avoid accidents.

"No need, let's go now." Lumian had already discussed this with Franca and Jenna.

Madam Magician said no more, creating a dazzling. dream-like double door and bringing the three Demonesses to the Blue Avenger, which was sailing through fierce winds and huge waves.

Mr. Hanged Man, dressed as the captain, was already waiting at the cabin entrance.

"Can you still sense the mirror imprint you left in the treasury?" Madam Magician asked Lumian.

"Yes," Lumian half-closed his eyes and sensed for a moment.

He didn't try to reach the full-length mirror with the Imprint using Mirror Traversal, because the corresponding area behind the mirror or mirror world contained Blood Emperor Alista Tudor's backup plan for resurrection.

For him, the main function of that mirror imprint was currently to provide necessary positioning so that his companions could also enter the treasury. In the future, it would serve as a trap marker to take down powerful enemies at the cost of mutual destruction.

After sensing, Lumlan walked towards the depths of the ship's cabin while deliberately continuing the previous topic.

He turned his head to look at Franca and Jenna and said, "Mr. Fool's revelation was that after becoming a Demoness of Unaging, go to the New City of Silver to borrow the Gift of the Land and bring it to the City of Exiles, in front of Hand Bro."

"Indeed, one knows Omebella, one shouted out Zedus. Let them meet, maybe they'll really spark something." Franca suddenly realized.

At this moment, Mr. Hanged Man, walking in front as the captain of the Blue Avenger, suddenly half-turned his body and said thoughtfully, "I think in Mr. Fool's revelation, not only is the latter part important, but the prerequisite is equally important."

Lumian mentioned Mr. Fool's revelation in front of Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man precisely to hear their views and opinions. He immediately asked.

"The prerequisite of becoming a Demoness of Unaging?"

Mr. Hanged Man, with his rugged face and unkempt appearance, chuckled deeply. "Can't you borrow the Gift of the Land and bring it to the Abscessed Hand now? The only help you might need is communication with the Church of Knowledge."

"That's right," Jenna agreed with Mr. Hanged Man's statement.

Lumian already had all the conditions to briefly use the Gift of the Land, could get the New City of Silver's permission through Mr. Sun, and was the proxy of 0-01. He didn't need to wait until reaching the Demoness of Unaging level to let Omebella's remains meet the Abscessed Hand.

"Are certain changes brought by becoming a Demoness of Unaging the catalyst for this whole thing? Or is it that only by reaching Sequence 3 can one deal with the inevitable accidents after the Gift of the Land meets the Abscessed Hand? No, the latter scenario can basically be ruled out," Lumian, in his Demoness of Despair state, slowed his pace and said thoughtfully.

As the proxy of 0-01, he had considerable authority in front of the mountain of corpses, and there wasn't much difference between being Sequence 4 or Sequence 3.

Moreover, he could briefly borrow the boon beneath the Underworld Daoist's seal to become a Sequence 3 War Bishop.

In other words, the power increase from advancing to Demoness of Unaging wasn't necessary.

"It should be some change brought about by the inherent qualities of the Demoness of Unaging," Madam Magician gave her judgment.

Franca, who had been listening quietly, mumbled, "Why doesn't Mr. Fool speak more clearly, just giving revelations for us to interpret ourselves?"

Mr. Hanged Man glanced at Franca. "I learned a phrase in the dream city-'words, once given, become reality`.

"Every action and word of great existences profoundly influences fate and the world. Back then, in the process of Mr. Fool becoming a great existence in just three years, many of the things he said were later verified one by one, becoming facts.

"In this situation, speaking very clearly and not speaking clearly will be part of the whole thing, and the interference with fate will be different, and the final result will also deviate because of this."

As Lumian nodded in agreement, he felt slightly surprised inwardly.

He felt that Mr. Hanged Man was much more enthusiastic than in their previous encounters.

Previously, Mr. Hanged Man wouldn't be stingy with his judgments and explanations, but he only did and said what was within his duties. This time, he actually took the initiative to talk about many things outside the topic.

Is it because I've become a Major Arcana card holder? Mr. Hanged Man seems to value hierarchy quite a bit... Lumian withdrew his gaze thoughtfully.

Madam Magician then added, "Moreover, this matter involves the Great Mother. Even Mr. Fool can't see it very clearly and can only receive certain revelations."

Hearing this, Franca looked around and lowered her voice.

"Now that Mr. Fool has initially awakened, uh, I don't mean to disrespect Mr. Fool, I'm just more concerned about his current state. Maybe there's still something I can help with? After all, I'm a transmigrator! Um, what I want to ask is, what level has Mr. Fool recovered to now, and how is The Fool identity you guys have woven running?"

After exchanging glances with Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man, Lumian said, "We're not clear about the specific level of recovery, we can only be sure that in terms of level, it's not a complete The Fool."

This "Fool" without the "Mr." referred to the Sequence 0 - The Fool of the Seer pathway.

The basis for the judgment of the Major Arcana card holders, including Lumian, was: if the identity of Gehrman Sparrow was already a complete "Fool", it would mean that he had fully grasped all the authorities of the Seer pathway, and the true Mr. Fool would soon gain sufficient advantage in the matter of fusion and confrontation, fully awakening.

Lumian continued, "In my personal opinion, the current Mr. Fool is not agile enough, or rather, he's colder and more indifferent, closer to Gehrman Sparrow."

After thinking for a while, Franca said, "I think, in my personal understanding, Gehrman Sparrow is currently more like an AI-artificial intelligence that has integrated some of Mr. Fool's will and ideas.

"Think about it, one of the foundations of Gehrman Sparrow's stable existence is a large number of faith anchors, and different people's perceptions of him are different. This is like one of the foundations of AI's existence is data-a large amount of data and the data collected from the internet, fed to AI, may be incorrect, fabricated, self-imagined. This will bring corruption to it, very similar to the corruption of faith anchors you mentioned.

"The current AI stands out in that as long as you dare to believe, it dares to fabricate, and the reactions presented by Gehrman Sparrow will also be affected by the corruption of faith anchors. While not affecting the transmission of Mr. Fool's core will and ideas, there will be personalized, even contradictory manifestations.

"Well, he's equivalent to Mr. Fool's AI assistant. The better he iterates, the faster he evolves, the more authorities and powers Mr. Fool can grasp and mobilize, ultimately helping him defeat the Celestial Worthy."

Interpreting from the perspective of AI was something the Major Arcana card holders had never thought of. Fortunately, everyone present had been to the dream city and could barely understand what Franca was saying.

Madam Magician, who had a very deep understanding of faith anchors, nodded slowly and said, "What we need to do next is to purify Gehrman Sparrow's anchors and adjust people's perceptions of Gehrman Sparrow to varying degrees?"

"That includes our perception of Gehrman Sparrow," Mr. Hanged Man added.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the stairs leading to the lower deck of the ship.

-x-X-x-

Glancing at the dark, bottomless end of the staircase, Lumian took out a mirror and activated the contract ability on his body.

He immediately sensed the imprint on the full-length mirror in the Tudor treasury, ready to dive into the mirror and traverse through at any moment.

Maintaining this sense, Lumian reminded Franca and Jenna, "Walk close to the sides later-very close."

From his experience, walking down the stairs this way 8 would bring them into the reflection range of that full- length mirror.

For Beyonders of other pathways, they only needed to guard against being affected by the resulting illusions, scaring themselves crazy or to death. But if Hunters and Demonesses let their shadows be reflected on that full-length mirror, they might have their bodies snatched by the long-fallen Alista Tudor through pre-arranged setups, allowing Him to resurrect and return.

Lumian thought that given Alista Tudor's level of madness, He probably wouldn't care whether it was a Blood Emperor or a Blood Empress who returned, so the Demonesses should also be careful.

"Okay." Franca and Jenna had long ago heard Lumian explain what dangers were in the Tudor treasury.

Even if they didn't know, in the current situation, they would heed the advice first and find an opportunity to ask why later.

Lumian maintained the activation of the mirror imprint and let the residual aura of the Blood Emperor on his right palm intensify from faint to strong, covering it with pallor.

He hadn't yet started descending the stairs step by step when he suddenly heard Madam Magician's voice. "I've located your mirror imprint."

Along with the voice's response, points of dazzling starlight lit up, enveloping Lumian and the others.

When vision was restored, Franca found herself in a corridor that seemed to be formed of condensed starlight.

On both sides of this corridor were star-bright doors standing in the darkness. The bottom was semi- transparent, revealing endless darkness, while above there was no dome, with illusory stars dotting the distant heights.

At the end of this deep and spacious corridor sat a silver full-length mirror with a classic design and intricate patterns around its frame.

Almost simultaneously, Franca and Jenna noticed Madam Magician raise her right hand and gently grasp towards the front.

Around that silver full-length mirror, space suddenly bent, forming a sealed sphere in the state of deep shadows, blocking all light from entering.

Lumian and the others could no longer see that silver full-length mirror, and that mirror could no longer reflect them.

"This way we can be a bit freer," Madam Magician said with a smile.

Wearing a black robe with silver patterns, she turned to Lumian, Franca, and Jenna and said, "You can choose the treasure rooms now. I'll handle the dangers inside."

Franca and Jenna instantly looked towards Lumian, waiting for him to demonstrate for the two of them.

Lumian looked left and right, slowly moving forward along the deep and spacious corridor while casually saying,

"In the area above the gray fog, when I mentioned Madame Pualis and Omebella, I also talked about a concern."

"What concern?" Franca asked cooperatively,

She and Jenna could both roughly guess that Lumian wanted to use casual chat to distract his own mind, choosing treasure rooms purely based on spiritual intuition and the characteristics, auras, and corruption on his body.

Lumian, in his Demoness of Despair state with black hair cascading, glanced at Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man and said, "At the end of the awakening operation, there were two things I couldn't understand:

"First, why was there no movement from the Primordial Demoness, and second, why didn't the Great Mother side try to stop it, even though She had made many arrangements in the dream city.

"The lack of interference from other existences was expected. The Celestial Worthy wouldn't wait until they were ready and could effectively interfere with the Internal situation of the dream before letting Zhou Sasa come. If that happened, what might be suppressed could be His hope for success. Moreover, Anderson's side would burn down the Colorful Hostel and the Mute Art Studio, not giving the deity worshiped by the Fantasy Association a chance to intervene, and there was also true god suppression at Mushu Hospital.

"But the Great Mother had sent Madame Pualis with baby Omebella to be the dean of Mushu Hospital. How did they not create even a ripple?

"Her forces in the dream city are not limited to Mushu Hospital. Whether it's Grimm who was originally active outside the hospital, or Lu Yong'an who can freely enter and exit the hospital, they could effectively avoid the true gods' suppression of Mushu Hospital and do something."

"Maybe Peng Deng, Grisha, and Amon's side, who didn't appear in the final stage, were blocking them?" Jenna speculated.

"That's one possibility." Madam Magician began to give her speech at the Tarot Club, "But I have a bad feeling that perhaps the Great Mother has already achieved Her goal, in a way that's in our cognitive blind spot."

"My experience is also that abnormal calmness is always problematic," Mr. Hanged Man followed up with emphasis.

Franca took a breath and turned her gaze to Lumian,

Lumian understood her meaning and smiled, saying, "The only revelation Mr. Fool gave about matters related to the Great Mother was: become a Demoness of Unaging, borrow the Gift of the Land, face the Abscessed Hand."

After saying this, Lumian suddenly had a spiritual perception. He turned to the right and pushed open a semi-transparent large door condensed from starlight.

The light behind the door was dim, with no attack appearing.

Lumian waited for two seconds before passing through the door and entering the room.

What met his eyes was a black coffin.

This coffin was different from the rectangular coffins Trier used daily, with obvious curves, one end larger and one end smaller, its surface carved with many bird and tree patterns.

"Eh..." Franca's head peeked out from Lumian's shoulder position, "Isn't this a Western Continent style coffin? Where did the Blood Emperor get it from?"

She already knew that the Western Continent had evolved from her pre-transmigration country over thousands or tens of thousands of years or even longer.

And judging from the fact that she could barely understand the language of Armored Shadow Chen Tu and its attire, Franca felt that the civilization of the Western Continent might not have experienced a break in continuity like the Southern and Northern Continents, still maintaining a certain continuity. The coffin style before her eyes seemed to be another piece of evidence.

As for why, in a situation where civilization had not been interrupted, the language and style of the Western Continent had "regressed" to what she remembered as "ancient", she couldn't think of a reason for the time being.

All the known transmigrators were in the Southern and Northern Continents and the former Eastern Continent!

No, Queen Mystic had said that the Ancient Sun God was not the kind of "cocoon person" like us, and there was another transmigrator who hasn't revealed their Identity... As Franca's thoughts gradually diverged, Lumian and Madam Magician had already walked to the front of that Western Continent style black coffin, with the latter causing the lid to slide to one side on its own, falling onto the semi-transparent ground.

Franca looked over and saw a beautiful face with tightly closed eyes, pale and cold, saw a gorgeous phoenix crown and rosy clouds cape, and saw bright red.

"Chinese wedding dress... bride's corpse... Dammit, what the hell is the Blood Emperor up to?" Franca blurted out.

Before her words fell, that black coffin with patterns of pine, cypress, and cranes began to shake violently.

A pale, delicate hand with long. gray nails that were sharp and cold silently pressed on the edge of the coffin.

With this action, Franca and Jenna's lips suddenly became dry, as if they were being roasted.

Outside the treasury, the Blue Avenger sailing through fierce winds and huge waves suddenly plunged downward.

The wind stopped, the waves calmed, and water vapor rose from the azure sea, evaporating rapidly.

On the surface of the Blue Avenger, the deck began to crack at a visible speed. Even though the consciousness of this ghost ship was constantly trying to repair it, it couldn't stop the trend from deepening.

Inside the Tudor treasury, in the corresponding room.

Before Madam Magician could deliver a barrage of attacks on the female corpse in the coffin. Lumian stretched out his right palm.

His palm was darkly red and mottled, covered with pallor, a deep black "pinhole" emitting an indescribable aura.

The female corpse wearing what Franca called a bright red wedding dress and a golden phoenix crown stopped shaking, no longer giving the feeling that it might crawl up at any moment. That delicate but pale hand slowly slid down, returning to the side of the corpse.

All the abnormalities disappeared with it.

"The power of a Demoness of Catastrophe," Madam Magician said after a few seconds of looking with eyes as brilliant as the starry sky. "And, the power of an Undying... Can the boons of these two pathways be put together?"

As she spoke, both she and Mr. Hanged Man looked towards Lumian.

Lumian looked at the dark "pinhole" in his palm, musing to himself, "Maybe they can..."

This thing seemed to be a fusion of the residual aura of the Blood Emperor, the boon of a War Bishop, the seal of the Underworld Daoist, and the grade and knowledge of the Demoness card.

If such a hodgepodge could be put together, the separately picked out powers of the Demoness and Death pathways should be able to as well.

Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man fell into deep thought, while Franca associated the terms "Demoness of Catastrophe" and "Undying" with the state and recent behavior of the female corpse.

She said in astonishment, "This, this couldn't be a drought demon, could it?

"Did the Blood Emperor bring a drought demon to the Northern Continent?

"How did He manage that?"

Isn't it said that the Western Continent was sealed by the power of the Celestial Worthy, and that the barrier can only be opened for free entry and exit after Mr. Fool truly gains the upper hand?

Before that, shouldn't only some secret deed rituals be possible?

Even if the Blood Emperor really opened a passage before His death, attempting to drag down all the gods with Him, that passage was sealed in Fourth Epoch Trier, right? The Blood Emperor shouldn't have had time to send this drought demon to the Blue Avenger…

Hearing Franca's words, Madam Magician turned to the side and began to explain, "The power doesn't come from Beyonder characteristics, it might originate from the Western Continent or somewhere else, but the person is from the Northern Continent

"Uh..." Franca looked carefully and found that the hair of the female corpse in the coffin was pale yellow, and her facial features were quite pronounced.

"An artificial drought demon?" Franca said with some understanding. "The Blood Emperor made a secret deed for some strange knowledge, and this is the product of an experiment? The phoenix crown, rosy clouds cape, and coffin are part of the knowledge, part of the ritual?"

Lumian nodded slightly, looking at the female corpse and said, "If we let her wake up, can we help her regain her sanity?"

Madam Magician slowly shook her head. "She' was probably born a monster."

-x-X-x-

Madam Magician meant: the girl in the coffin underwent a transformation the instant she simultaneously received the powers of a Demoness of Catastrophe and an Undying through a strange ritual. This corpse, now possessing Angel-level power, was a monster from the moment it came into being.

Lumian, in his Demoness state, frowned and said, "Aren't boons supposed to not affect the spirit, only gradually causing mental and physical alterations?

Surely it shouldn't directly create a monster?

Moreover, from what he could see, the powers of the Demoness and Death pathways weren't so contradictory and could be integrated to some degree.

"What I explained before was only about boons under normal circumstances," Madam Magician said after some consideration. "The essence of boons is actually closer to controlled, retrievable corruption. Higher beings who grant boons generally try to suppress the spiritual, conscious, and emotional aspects of their power that belong to themselves, to prevent the recipient from being overwhelmed immediately and developing problems, as that would go against the original intention of the boon and fail to achieve the expected purpose."

Mr. Hanged Man added, "In the cases of evil god boons that we know of, if there weren't enough sacrifices, especially human sacrifices, even if a channel was opened through ritual, some of the recipients at the scene would be unable to bear the power, their bodies collapsing on the spot-either dying or becoming monsters."

Jenna confirmed with newfound understanding, "When the higher being that the Blood Emperor's strange ritual was directed at granted the boon, they didn't control or suppress the spiritual, conscious, and emotional aspects within the power, letting them exist as usual, so this girl as the recipient naturally couldn't bear it and became a monster?"

Mr. Hanged Man nodded slightly and said meaningfully, "It might not have been a boon, but rather theft."

"Did Amon play a role in this ritual?" Lumian's own boon power came from theft.

Mr. Hanged Man smiled, "Theft in another sense. Let me give an example-we can utilize the power of many Sealed Artifacts to some degree, but we must be careful to avoid the corresponding dangers and find the most suitable method, because they lack intelligence. You can't negotiate with them or make them obey to prevent them from harming you.

"In such cases, suitable methods of utilization are equivalent to relatively safe means of theft."

Lumian recalled his experience after lighting the corpse wax candle and nodded thoughtfully.

If he hadn't possessed both male and female forms in the dream city at that time, his physical body might have collapsed and become a monster.

"The Blood Emperor was indeed bloodthirsty and mad..." Jenna couldn't help but sigh.

The girl in the coffin most likely didn't voluntarily participate in such a special ritual.

"Not necessarily," Franca said quietly.

Seeing everyone look at her, she cleared her throat and said, "Based on my pre-transmigration experience, if this is related to the Western Continent, the whole ritual might not be what you imagine.

"They might have pre-selected a girl born on a specific year, month, day and time, killed her in a specific way at a specific moment, performed special treatment, then placed her in this pre-made coffin, made other arrangements, and finally conducted the ritual to let her gain power and open her eyes in an Undying state."

"Why do it this way?" Jenna asked puzzledly.

Franca smiled and said, "It's just my guess, but maybe this was the only way to please the corresponding higher being, or maybe this was the only way to avoid the influence of the spiritual and conscious aspects within the boon power. But for some reason, perhaps because the Blood Emperor and others made mistakes in interpreting the secret deed they obtained, missing some key points, the ritual seems to have failed in the end.

"Uh, maybe, it wasn't even a ritual seeking boons, but rather a method of corpse refinement..."

Jenna was silent for two seconds. "Then you still say the Blood Emperor wasn't necessarily bloodthirsty and mad."

This was more cruel than their previous speculation!

Franca explained, "I'm not saying the Blood Emperor wasn't necessarily bloodthirsty and mad, but rather that it might not have been ordinary bloodiness and madness-it was probably 'extremely' so."

Madam Magician turned to look at the female corpse wearing the phoenix crown and rosy clouds cape, and said, "She has no Beyonder characteristics. Let's go to the next room."

"Alright." Lumian had no objections.

After Madam Magician made the coffin lid fly up and cover it again, they returned to that deep and spacious corridor.

Lumian raised his right palm, looked at the dimmed dark red spots, dark "pinhole" and pale skin, then put his hand into his Traveler's Bag.

Maintaining this posture, Lumian started walking forward again.

He felt that encountering that female corpse was likely due to the effect of his right palm, so now he needed to try to eliminate its influence.

After about ten seconds, Lumian opened another door condensed from starlight.

At the same time, he saw a spring-its bubbling source.

The spring water had a sacred feeling, emitting an alluring aura-clear and pure-making Franca and the others, whose mouths had dried from the female corpse's influence, suddenly feel thirsty.

Voices then echoed in their minds:

"Drink, drink and regain your youth..."

"Drink, drink and gain tremendous power..."

"Drink, drink and extend your life by thousands of years..."

"Drink, drink and become irresistibly charming…"

"Drink, drink and achieve immortality…"

Lumian, who was also tempted and hearing the - whispers, smiled, "Don't worry, I will drink, I came here to drink you..."

Before he could emphasize that he was a person who valued ceremony, Madam Magician had already acted.

Layer upon layer of void peeled away, the clear and pure spring water suddenly receded, revealing what was inside the spring source.

There was a highly decomposed but not yet skeletal female corpse, with pale yellow-greenish pus constantly seeping from its disgusting flesh, combining with the air to become sacred, alluring, and pure.

This was the source of the spring water.

Madam Magician immediately raised both hands.

Glass-like fragments and blood tinged with pale yellow immediately flew out from the female corpse, falling into two containers that had been floating in mid-air at some unknown time.

After doing this, Madam Magician made the two containers fly toward Lumian. "They can replace the Mirror God fragments and Medusa blood as supplementary ingredients, enough for four advancements."

After Lumian put away the containers, the points of starlight condensed from the void suddenly pressed down, completely crushing the highly decomposed female corpse, making the charming, sacred grayish- white light quickly separate out and condense into a fist-sized, spring-like crystal.

Illusory water constantly flowed out from the crystal's surface, then fell back in.

With a push of Madam Magician's right hand, this Demoness of Unaging Beyonder characteristic quickly came before Lumian, already preliminarily sealed.

The light emanating from the female corpse hadn't completely dispersed-the remaining portion recombined to form a transparent eye brimming with tears.

"Your Demoness of Despair Beyonder characteristic," Madam Magician gave that beautiful but sorrowful eye to Jenna. "As for supplementary ingredients, The Chariot and Two of Cups should still have some left."

"Thank you." Jenna quietly let out a breath and quickly put the sealed Beyonder characteristic into her Traveler's Bag.

Madam Magician nodded slightly and walked out of the current room.

"Let's go find the next ingredient. This time, Two of Cups, you're in charge of opening doors."

Just as Franca was eagerly about to step forward, she suddenly saw Lumian hand over a piece of parchment.

On the parchment were words in rust-colored ancient Feysac:

"Potion Name: War Bishop;

"Sequence: 3;

"Main ingredients: Heart of a Bipolar Centaur, Core of a War Comet;

"Supplementary ingredients: 100ml of Bipolar Centaur blood, War Comet fragments, one Blood Tudor Iris, 8g of Flame Giant Tree bark;

"Advancement ritual: Lead your own team to defeat a powerful enemy force in a war.

"Note 1: The imminent atmosphere of war will attract comets symbolizing war through the spirit world. They will streak across the night sky bringing revelations, but among such comets, those with corporeal substance that can enter the real world are limited in number.

"Note 2: In the advancement ritual, the stronger the enemy force, the better the ritual effect."

Seeing this parchment, Franca was stunned and said, "Where did this come from?"

"The advancement was promised by the Major Arcana. and Mr. Fool gave me an extra reward." Lumian smiled and said, "I asked for the War Bishop potion formula."

Before Franca could respond, Lumian smiled and added, "I wanted you to have the right to choose."

Franca opened her mouth, then closed it, her emotions seeming somewhat turbulent.

After a moment, she glanced to the side and said quietly, "I didn't say I want to become a War Bishop, I still have my mission..."

Lumian didn't try to persuade her and put the parchment back into his Traveler's Bag.

Jenna's expression was slightly complex as she secretly sighed in relief. Things are good as they are now, things are good as they are now...

She didn't want change; she feared change.

Because Madam Magician and Mr. Hanged Man were present, Franca didn't dare tell Lumian "you usually just make people's grit their teeth, I didn't expect you to be so considerate sometimes" to ease her emotions. She could only quickly walk forward and casually push open a door condensed from starlight.

As soon as the door opened, an exquisite, beautiful human skin suddenly fell from above.

This human skin violently enveloped toward Franca.

Franca's body surface subsequently emanated a grayish-white color, her whole person seeming to turn into a stone statue, unable to dodge in time.

At this moment, the surrounding darkness instantly bent and folded, quickly sealing that fair and elastic human skin within.

Immediately after, Madam Magician's hand clenched.

That dark sphere suddenly collapsed, the corresponding void completely disintegrated, and the human skin inside was quickly torn into pieces by the space-time storm.

"This is also a Demoness of Unaging Beyonder characteristic. The Blood Emperor and Primordial Demoness's secret cooperation was indeed tight back then," Madam Magician smiled at Franca, Lumian, and Jenna while crushing the characteristic.

Franca was stunned for a moment, then revealed a brilliant smile.

Heh, I sure have good luck today! I succeeded in one try!

-x-X-x-

After Franca put away the Demoness of Unaging Beyonder characteristic that had coalesced after being shattered, Madam Magician said to the three of them. "Apart from some easier-to-find materials that are merely symbolic, we should have everything else. What remains is preparing for the ritual. I can help anytime."

"Thank you," Lumian thought for a moment and asked, "Should we leave now?"

Madam Magician smiled and said, "Angel-level Beyonder characteristics, especially Sequence 1, are not only limited but very rare, and their locations are relatively certain. If there were anything similar in this treasure trove, it could only be Sequence 2, and most likely from the Hunter pathway."

Lumian pointed to the end of the deep corridor. "As one of the Blood Emperor's resurrection arrangements, the corresponding Beyonder characteristic is behind that mirror, together with His Mirror Person, perhaps even already absorbed and merged by His Mirror Person?"

In other words, it was almost impossible to find Angel-level Beyonder characteristics, including Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, in other rooms along the corridor, so Lumian and the others had no need to continue exploring.

Of course, this was just one reason. More importantly, the Blue Avenger belonged to Mr. Hanged Man, and theoretically this treasure vault was also his- equivalent to his private property. He had only allowed Lumian and the others to take the corresponding materials earlier based on a promise. If Lumian and the others were to open other rooms and take other items. it would be too disrespectful to the owner.

Though Madam Magician didn't explicitly say this, all three Demonesses understood and expressed their wish to leave now and think about how to arrange the ritual.

Mr. Hanged Man nodded without any change in expression.

"You can return through the mirror world. Madam Magician and I still have some matters to attend to."

"Alright," Lumian replied with a smile.

He could roughly guess what Mr. Hanged Man wanted to do.

As captain of the Blue Avenger, Mr. Hanged Man had no Tudor remnant aura, no corresponding bloodline, and wasn't on either the Hunter or Demoness pathway. Though guarding a treasure vault, he had difficulty entering it and could only wait for Lumian to open the "access control." Only with Madam Magician's positioning and help could he enter. Of course he couldn't miss this opportunity and had to explore a bit and take some useful items.

These might be Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts that could help improve his strength, or Beyonder characteristic- related items that could help him cultivate more and stronger subordinates, or special items that could either be useful at critical moments or point to certain secrets of the Tudor Empire.

How others explored their own vault was none of Lumian's business. He took out a mirror and led Franca and Jenna out of the vault, then used teleportation to return to the luxurious villa in Trier.

Since the matters of Madame Pualis and infant Omebella were still under investigation, Lumian hadn't returned to his originally rented apartment to meet with his subordinate Lugano. He was still wary of potential issues related to the Great Mother that might exist with him.

"Where's Ludwig?" Jenna looked around the living room and asked Anthony, who was focused on reading the newspaper.

Anthony pointed toward the villa's annex.

"In the kitchen.

"After eating Trier's food for several days, he misses the food from the dream city and wants to try making some himself."

Suddenly, an image appeared in Lumian and the others' minds: Ludwig moving a chair into the kitchen. then standing on it, struggling to handle kitchen utensils that didn't quite match his size and height...

"I miss it too," Franca said excitedly, "Look, look, this is what a professional Chef is like-just eight years old!

Jenna nodded and said to Lumian and the others, "I'm going to the telegraph office nearby to send a telegram to Julien. He's coming back to Trier next week, and I need to ask about the specific time and whether he's taking a boat or steam locomotive."

She wasn't in a rush to discuss her own ritual, as there was already a preliminary plan.

Once Lumian became a Demoness of Unaging and borrowed the Gift of the Land, after communicating well with the Tarot Club and the Church of Knowledge, they would take her to the City of Exiles to advance using the criminals there.

The only problem with this plan was that once Jenna successfully advanced, she would become a Sequence 4 demigod, which conflicted with Morora's rules and would cause negative changes to 0-01.

The current solution was to ask the Church of Knowledge for help, assisting Madam Magician, so this Door pathway Angel could transfer the newly- advanced Jenna away directly using pre-left marks without entering Morora.

Lumian had privately asked Jenna if she wanted to consider using the Sword of Courage to switch to becoming an Iron-blooded Knight. With the current team's composition and rapport, the corresponding ritual wouldn't be difficult after some time adjusting. But Jenna still hoped to continue on the path of pure female Demonesses.

She told Lumian this was currently her only special trait, and once she switched to Hunter, she would lose it. Special traits represented both unknown, huge risks and potential encounters and significant gains. With the apocalypse seemingly approaching early, she was willing to take the corresponding risks in exchange for rapid sequence and power growth to better protect those she wanted to protect.

Lumian didn't try to persuade her further at the time. only sighing and quoting a dream city saying, "Fortune favors the bold."

After Jenna put on her sunhat and lowered her black veil to cover her face, leaving the luxurious villa, Lumian said to Anthony. "Do you want to continue with the Psychology Alchemists mission?

Anthony had already been assigned to Lumian, the new Mr. Chariot, and could completely stop the original mission given by Madam Justice.

Before Anthony could respond, Lumian laughed.

"You're about to become a Sequence 4 Manipulator. Those people who play with people's minds won't let a demigod not cultivated by their own organization enter their core levels."

Anthony had digested the Sequence 5 potion Dreamwalker faster than Lumian and the others because during this time, he had been active, walking. and working in a great existence's true dream.

"About to?" Anthony asked puzzlingly.

Had the Major Arcana cardholders found the corresponding Beyonder ingredients?

That couldn't be so easy, right? If it were that easy, Madam Susie would have become a demigod long ago.

Lumian tucked his falling hair behind his ear and smiled. "Madam Justice has been searching for an ancient dragon. She's had some results but kept missing it. After Mr. Fool Initially awoke, he gave her a revelation that should be very useful. We might see results soon."

Anthony nodded and after considering for a few seconds said, "I want to continue my contact with the Psychology Alchemists, but no longer seek to enter their core levels.

"After becoming a demigod, I'll also hide my Sequence and deal with them in my current state. This is a very good intelligence channel, and I don't want to give it up."

"Alright," Lumian indeed needed such intelligence channels.

After exchanging a few more words, he and Franca went upstairs.

Walking on the thick carpet in the corridor, Lumian turned his head toward Franca. "You no longer need to do the Demoness Sect's mission."

This was a mission from Madam Justice, and since Franca was now subordinate to The Chariot, Lumian had full authority to help her stop this matter.

Franca was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Since you've chosen this current path, I think figuring out the situation with the Primordial Demoness and the secrets of the special mirror world are inevitable tasks, and none of these can bypass the Demoness Sect.

"Whether or not I've been exposed, even if they use me or set traps through this, it's still a good entry point. Having connections means having opportunities."

Lumian looked at Franca without speaking.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable under his gaze, Franca could only ask with a smile. "Are you moved?"

"Yes." Lumian nodded.

"Oh... why aren't you being stubborn this time? Now I don't know how to respond..." Franca mumbled. "Actually, Jenna continuing on the Demoness pathway also involves this kind of thinking."

Before Lumian could speak again, she forcefully changed the topic. "Let me ask a question, purely out of curiosity.

"If you briefly use the War Bishop power within the seal, will your body change?"

Normally, physical changes brought by a boon's power, as long as they didn't cause immediate collapse, occurred gradually and subtly over time However, the boon powers of both Hunter and Demoness pathways inherently possessed the quality of changing the body.

"Yes, the body will, but the spirit won't" Lumian explained simply.

Taking potions to change gender would affect the spirit as well, like Franca-when her Astral Projection roamed the spirit world, her form was also female. But changes brought by boons were limited to body and mind, meaning that even if Lumian returned to a male state using the War Bishop powers within the seal, his spirit would still appear as Lumina.

Franca immediately became excited. "Can you try it, let me see?"

If this worked, she could seek corresponding boons in the future. Then she could be a man when she wanted to be a man, a woman when she wanted to be a woman, and neither if she preferred!

After all, Lumian's goal was to resurrect Aurore, which meant he would reach very high levels, and seeking temporary boons from him wouldn't have any hidden dangers.

Before Lumian could respond, Franca shook her head.

"Never mind, never mind. The Lie earring uses corresponding Beyonder power to change the body without any pain, but changes brought by this kind of boon powers come with the power itself-they're forced, uncontrollable, and must be very painful. Never mind."

"You've been both a Demoness of Affliction and a Demoness of Despair, what pain are you afraid of?" Lumian teased, as his body suddenly changed.

There was both the writhing of flesh and the creaking of bones.

Lumian's face contorted for several seconds before settling into his original male appearance, but more handsome, with more of that masculine charm.

Franca watched with both concern and curiosity, then said, "It really works..."

Her eyes moved slightly, and she added, "Can you close your eyes?"

Lumian didn't refuse.

Then, he heard Franca sigh and say,

"We all know you see your female body as your sister's, and unless she agrees, you won't do anything suggestive with it. We respect your thoughts and Aurore herself, but, but sometimes we still want to see Lumian, to hug Lumian…"

Just as Lumian was about to speak, a warmth pressed against his lips.

After a peaceful, serene, and sweet moment of entanglement, Franca pulled back.

Lumian opened his eyes to see she was suddenly slightly taller than him.

Instinctively, Lumian looked down and discovered that several layers of ice crystal steps had formed beneath Franca's feet at some point.

Franca opened her eyes wide and said, "This time I took the initiative, and I thought kissing you from above felt more appropriate for the current mood!"

"Whatever you like," Lumian said noncommittally.

Franca jumped down from the ice crystal steps and sighed again. "Change back now, minimize the influence of the boon."

She then pressed her lips together, clapped her hands once, and said with a smile, "With the apocalypse approaching and everyone in this situation, let's just make do for now!"

***

-x-X-x-

At the telegraph office in the arts district.

Still wearing her sun hat and black veil, Jenna paid the telegram fee and gazed at the constant tinkling sounds next door, muttering to herself, "What are they renovating?"

A male telegraph operator looked up and said with a mixture of disdain and worry,

"The telephone office.

"They say they want to develop wired telephones extensively. Can they really lay lines to so many places? In the end, they'll have to rely on wireless!"

Yes, mobile phones should also be a type of wireless… Jenna suddenly felt nostalgic.

She was also looking forward to the development of telephone networks in Intis. That way they could communicate in real-time instead of going through the trouble of sending and receiving telegrams.

Walking out of the telegraph office, before Jenna could decide whether to take a carriage back to the luxurious villa or browse around the neighborhood, she heard a newspaper boy shouting at the intersection:

"Extra! Extra!

"Ms. Fors promises to finalize 'The Great Adventurer 7' within two weeks!

"Extra! Extra!

"The large generator manufactured by the Church of Steam's Deep Valley Cloister has entered the factory production stage!"

Large generator… Jenna paused for a moment, her gaze involuntarily drawn to the horse-drawn trams on the road, women wearing different styles of sun hats, men carrying canes and wearing top hats, classical-style gas street lamps, luxurious theaters and nearby cafes, and various shops.

This hardly looked like a scene approaching the apocalypse.

Jenna gazed greedily at everything, worried it would suddenly dissipate like the dream city.

…

In the luxurious villa.

Lumian stood before the full-length mirror, staring motionlessly at his beautiful face that was both familiar and strange.

He was waiting, waiting for the reflection to smile on its own or show some other expression.

One of the major difficulties in the Demoness of Unaging advancement ritual was finding one's Mirror Person—this wasn't something one could encounter just by wanting to.

The mystical connection between a Demoness and their Mirror Person served both as a locating aid and as an alarm that allowed the other party to detect danger early and constantly relocate.

Moreover, according to the actual experiences and daily observations of the three Demonesses—Lumian, Franca, and Jenna—the stable Mirror People born from becoming Demonesses were different from those Mirror People in special mirror worlds.

Under normal circumstances, the Demonesses' Mirror People could not leave the mirror world. Once these Mirror People entered reality, it meant there was a major problem with the Demoness's own state.

"We'll still need to ask Madam Magician for help with positioning and containment…" Lumian, who had been watching the mirror image for an hour, withdrew his gaze and muttered to himself.

At that moment, Madam Magician appeared in the bedroom, surrounded by twinkling starlight.

She looked around and asked, "Where's Two of Cups?"

"She went to meet with her subordinate, preparing for tomorrow's meeting with the Demoness of Black," Lumian answered simply.

Madam Magician frowned and said, "Is she still going to continue with the Demoness Sect's missions?

"At the Sequence 4 demigod stage, the Demoness of Despair only provides potions and helps prepare rituals. How will Two of Cups explain how she was able to advance to Demoness of Despair, where the potion formula and corresponding ingredients came from, and how the ritual was completed?"

"No explanation is needed. Her advancement to Sequence 4 was completed under the Primordial Demoness's watch, and these past few days, she often takes out that white bone figurine and places it beside her, with no abnormalities or dangers arising," Lumian explained on Franca's behalf. "This situation makes her feel she still has value to the Demoness Sect, or rather, to the Primordial Demoness. When the time comes, she can make up a convincing reason that the Demoness of Black should believe, such as divine bestowal or divine favor.

"She can also take this opportunity to learn more mystical knowledge about Mirror People from the Demoness of Black, which might prove useful in the upcoming Demoness of Unaging ritual."

Madam Magician looked at Lumian for several seconds. "This is dangerous."

"We know," Lumian replied in a low voice.

Madam Magician sighed and said, "When she goes to meet the Demoness of Black tomorrow, remember to notify me in advance. I'll provide necessary protection nearby."

"Thank you," Lumian then asked, "Why did you suddenly come over? Is something wrong?"

Weren't we supposed to wait until we gathered all the information before setting a time for the ritual?

Madam Magician made no attempt to hide it, her expression becoming quite complex.

"To have a small meeting."

"Small meeting?" Lumian raised an eyebrow.

"A small meeting means a private gathering without Mr. Fool present, but still held in the palace above the gray fog," Madam Magician explained briefly. "Previously it was fixed at once a month, but now that formal meetings have resumed and are fixed for 3 pm on the first Monday of each month, we obviously can't continue with the small meetings in the same way. They might become more impromptu in nature, specifically convened for special matters."

"This discussion…" Lumian asked thoughtfully, "Is it to unify the Major Arcana's understanding of Gehrman Sparrow?"

"Yes," Madam Magician nodded slightly. "In half an hour, recite Mr. Fool's honorific name."

After speaking, her figure transformed into countless starlight and flew into the illusory door.

Half an hour later, Lumian recited Mr. Fool's honorific name and once again arrived above the gray fog, sitting at one side of the bronze long table.

In his eyes, streaks of light were rising up, condensing into slightly blurred figures in different seats.

In less than a minute, all the Major Arcana card holders were present.

After glancing at Madam Justice, The Magician began speaking.

"I just returned from Two of Cups. She compared the current Mr. Fool, or rather Gehrman Sparrow's image, to an AI…"

After roughly repeating Franca's original words, this lady said, "I think it makes sense. We must quickly unify our understanding of Gehrman Sparrow to minimize the corruption of the faith anchors."

Madam Justice picked up the thread.

"The most fundamental and widespread public perceptions of Gehrman Sparrow don't need to be changed, and can't be changed in the short term—these themselves don't contain contradictions.

"What we need to do is make the Gehrman Sparrow beneath this shell closer to Mr. Fool's true self, and ensure there are no contradictions.

"Since we want to unify this understanding, we must start with ourselves. If our own understandings still differ and contain major contradictions, it will certainly affect later corrections and dissemination."

Seeing all the Major Arcana card holders nodding slightly in agreement, Madam Justice said,

"Then let's first share our impressions of Mr. Fool and Gehrman Sparrow, record them, and then discuss which ones are correct and which can be unified.

"Who wants to start?"

Madam Justice first looked toward Madam Magician and Mr. Star.

She found that the former showed hints of fear, seemingly afraid to speak or listen, while the latter kept his mouth shut, appearing quite hesitant, as if unsure which things should be said, which shouldn't, and whether to say everything.

The Chariot Lumian clicked his tongue imperceptibly and shook his head.

"What are you thinking about?" Mr. Moon, who was sitting not far from him, tilted his head curiously to ask.

Lumian chuckled and said, "I'm imagining how I would feel if a group of people were discussing what kind of person I am behind my back, each with different impressions."

"Embarrassed?" Mr. Moon couldn't help but consider it too.

The Chariot Mr. Lumian smiled and said, "I don't know if others would be embarrassed, but for myself, I'd probably be excited, find it fun, and wish I could sneak in to listen."

Mr. Moon raised his right hand and touched his face.

He instinctively looked at the huge chair at the head of the table, then glanced at the position at the bottom, confirming that neither Mr. Fool nor The World was present—truly not present.

"If it were the Sherlock Moriarty in my impression, he would genuinely be embarrassed, but if it were Gehrman Sparrow, he would maintain a cold expression, making it impossible to tell what he's thinking," Mr. Moon responded to Lumian's words.

After speaking, he found that the other Major Arcana card holders were all looking at him.

Seeing this, Lumian inwardly chuckled and muttered to himself, See, someone to kick things off has volunteered themselves.

Mr. Moon froze for a moment, and seeing everyone waiting for him to continue, he had no choice but to maintain outward composure and continue.

"I haven't had much interaction with Gehrman Sparrow; it was mainly above the gray fog. Many of my impressions come from rumors, centered around words like cold, powerful, and quick-to-action.

"Comparatively, I know Sherlock Moriarty better. He's quite perceptive, fairly vigilant, very concerned with money, but judging from his behavior at the Harvest Church and other places, he's actually quite caring and possesses a true gentleman's sense of humor…"

After speaking in one breath, Mr. Moon slightly raised his chin, looked around, and said, "You guys' turn."

Madam Justice didn't wait for other Major Arcana cards, deciding to follow Mr. Moon's example and set a model for everyone.

"I'll go.

"I was once Mr. World's psychiatrist, provided him with corresponding treatment, and even entered the Hall of Truth with him, hearing many of his inner thoughts."

Upon catching the term Hall of Truth, Mr. Star unconsciously adjusted his sitting position, with his right side more forward and his left side slightly withdrawn.

After all the Major Arcana card holders, including The Chariot Lumian, turned to look at her, Madam Justice spoke in a steady voice,

"My deepest impression of Mr. World is that he was very lonely. He had many things piled up in his heart and weighing on his shoulders…

"But he could still control himself, not indulging, not despairing, not acting willfully, not becoming distorted…

"What Mr. Moon just said is correct—he was indeed a very caring person, his heart was actually very gentle, and his cold and tough exterior was just a facade he had put on…"

Miss Justice's gentle voice slowly echoed above the bronze long table.

-x-X-x-

"Though outwardly quiet and reserved, he actually likes to joke and tease in his mind, and occasionally even rambles…"

Madam Magician listened with inexplicable tension, thoughts instinctively flashing through her mind, Am I allowed to hear this? Should I be hearing this?

If Gehrman Sparrow finds out I'm listening to what he's really like inside, that he's even somewhat lively, would he blow my head off with a gun?

"Those are my impressions," Madam Justice concluded her recollections and summary.

Madam Magician quietly let out a breath.

After calming down, she thought carefully and felt that if Gehrman Sparrow was really as Miss Justice described, then probably, perhaps, he wouldn't use violent means to eliminate people who knew his true nature.

Seeing that Madam Justice had said so much, Mr. Star, sitting next to Lumian, leaned back against his chair, as if trying to enter a relaxed state.

In a rich timbre, he intoned, "He is a learned person, and this is reflected in more than just his being a university history graduate;

"In supernatural events, he was very green at first, but quickly became skilled, becoming someone people could rely on;

"He's not comfortable getting too close to others, always maintaining a certain distance, appearing as if he fears loss and doesn't want to gain anything, but in reality, he's someone who values relationships deeply, and inevitably relaxes over time, gradually integrating and carefully building friendships with others;

"He's calm but not introverted, can take jokes and has a sense of humor, values life and is willing to enjoy it, but doesn't like waste;

"He's cautious, perhaps due to the influence of the Seer pathway, completely deserving to be called very cautious. When encountering matters that aren't urgent and won't cause immediate harm, he chooses the most conservative response, leaving first or waiting for backup, but if a disaster is very pressing and will affect many people, even if he's not powerful enough himself, he's willing to step forward and try to resolve it despite the risks;

"He deeply values his brother and sister, is more relaxed around them, and shows some of the personality traits Madam Justice just described;

"He is the best brother, both younger and older, and also the best colleague…"

After Mr. Star finished speaking, the majestic palace remained silent for quite a while, until all the Major Arcana card holders except Madam Magician turned their gaze toward her.

Madam Magician cleared her throat and said, "My impressions of Gehrman Sparrow can be read in 'The Great Adventurer' novel series.

"If I really have to summarize…"

This Angel of the Door pathway paused, her voice unconsciously becoming softer.

"Cold, powerful, mysterious, and will kill people on the spot if they say one wrong word.

"But, but very reliable—when you're with him, you only need to worry about whether he might eliminate you, there's no need to worry about anything else."

You're closer to teasing than stating facts with that last part… I can clearly hear that you're somewhat afraid, yet you still insist on teasing both Gehrman Sparrow and yourself—is this the nature of writers? Well, from 'The Great Adventurer' series, it's clear that you respect, fear, and somewhat admire Gehrman Sparrow, yet you persistently write gossip about him… The Chariot Lumian, listening quietly, couldn't help but think to himself.

After speaking quickly, Madam Magician turned her gaze to Mr. Hanged Man sitting diagonally across from her, meaning it was his turn.

Mr. Hanged Man had already prepared his thoughts. "I haven't had much contact with any of Mr. Fool's identities, and some I haven't met at all, so I can only say briefly.

"An experienced, very intelligent, and powerful adventurer.

"His luck seems quite good too.

"Not actually as cold and hard as his exterior suggests.

"Willing to listen to others' opinions and respect their experience."

After Mr. Hanged Man finished, Madam Judgment, who appeared small compared to her chair, shared her understanding, "Most of my impressions of Gehrman Sparrow come from Madam Magician, so there's no need to repeat them.

"I've had the most contact with the identity of Dwayne Dantès. He's a mature, cultured, wealthy gentleman, but very mysterious, with unusual things always happening around him.

"He's said to be romantic, fond of beautiful women with different characteristics, but I haven't noticed him having any truly deep relationships with any women.

"Well, he also has a kind heart, does charity work with genuine desire to help others, and treats his male and female servants not just with surface politeness, but actually without arrogance or hidden discrimination…"

This is also one side of Mr. Fool, especially certain details that really reflect his inner nature… Madam Justice carefully memorized what the other Major Arcana card holders were saying, to summarize and distill it later.

Mr. Sun, tall and wearing a plain white robe, followed by saying, "Powerful but not arrogant, cold but not heartless.

"He practices all that is righteous, he's willing to take great risks to help people who are actually of no use to him, he is light in the darkness, a guide walking ahead, an angel sheltering everyone."

A more religious description, with more extreme and pure emotions… As expected of the Pope of the Church of The Fool and member of the New City of Silver's six-member council… Lumian could clearly hear some differences.

Ma'am Hermit pushed up her glasses and said, "A very capable adventurer who can always respond most appropriately to unexpected situations.

"He also yearns for something, he also gazes at the setting sun, and at such times, I can truly feel his loneliness—what he wants to grasp seems to be in a very distant, unreachable place.

"Also, a mysterious, powerful, and reliable companion."

The original Major Arcana card holders of the Tarot Club had finished speaking, leaving only the two new members.

The Chariot Lumian, whose figure was blurred but still recognizably female, thought for a moment before calmly saying, "I've never had any real contact with any of Mr. Fool's identities in the real world, my impressions of them all come from the materials you provided. I can only speak from my interactions with Mr. Fool through certain dream images in the dream city."

He was silent for a second before stating his first impression, "Guardian."

Mr. Star, sitting beside him, suddenly spoke, as if sighing and supplementing, "A guardian fighting against threats and madness."

Lumian nodded.

He strongly agreed with this description, especially after learning that the Celestial Worthys spiritual imprint was indelible and eternal.

This addition also resonated with the other Major Arcana card holders, and everyone fell into a new silence.

After a brief moment, Lumian shared his other impressions, "Gentle, kind, elder brother, teacher, friend, a person with stories, a deity with humanity."

After a pause, Lumian continued, "He values family and friends greatly, he probably very much wants to return to the era he truly belongs to, return to his homeland buried in history. He is lonely because of this, often sad and in pain, and only family and friends he acknowledges can help him find meaning in life.

"On the one hand detachment, on the other a deeper appreciation for life experiences, willing to experience beauty…"

As he spoke, Lumian stopped, because he felt that the more he said, the more he was thinking about how Aurore was the same way, and he worried he might mix up some of Aurore's characteristics with Mr. Fool's, affecting the Major Arcana card holders' summary of Gehrman Sparrow's image.

So it is indeed like this… Madam Justice felt that some of her private speculations and judgments made after understanding the truth about transmigration were confirmed.

While memorizing, she felt that Gehrman Sparrow's image had become more grounded, more detailed, and more well-rounded.

At this point, Madam Temperance, who couldn't easily speak due to her sequence limitations, displayed the paper she had been writing on.

On the paper were words in ancient Feysac:

"My impressions are:

"Brave, decisive, extremely fast growth, increasingly reliable, increasingly capable.

"Also, gentle, cultured, kind, rational, has a sense of justice, pursues fairness, has sufficient sympathy for those in suffering and poverty, and is willing to help, has a heart of mercy."

After reading the contents of Madam Temperance's paper, Madam Justice thought quickly.

After a while, she spoke slowly, "Currently, the public's mainstream impression of Gehrman Sparrow focuses on several labels:

"Great adventurer, cold and powerful, Angel of Redemption, Mr. Fool's proxy, pirate killer.

"We don't need to change these for now. What we need to do is make these labels richer, more detailed, and also show the complexity of human nature."

The early impression that Gehrman Sparrow was a "lunatic" had basically faded after the Church of The Fool widely publicized the matter of redemption, and was no longer believed by most people.

Madam Justice continued, "Let's now start summarizing and unifying our understanding.

"The first word I want to propose is 'guardian.'"

All the Major Arcana card holders, including Lumian, had no objections to this.

Thus, after multiple discussions, those present reached a unified understanding of Gehrman Sparrow's image: "Powerful, cautious, mysterious background, loves money but also generous, gentle at heart, shows mercy to people, redeems suffering, values family and relationships, always misses his homeland, is Mr. Fool's proxy."

The Major Arcana card holders didn't add all the details to make the description richer, as that would both make it difficult to spread and easy to misinterpret—it was enough that they themselves had the corresponding impressions.

Madam Magician thought for a moment and said, "I think we can add that he has rich inner thoughts, likes to ramble, joke, and tease in his mind.

"For the novel's text, this would be very interesting, and this is also the true Gehrman Sparrow."

"That works." Madam Justice looked toward Madam Magician and smiled, saying, "Then I'll trouble you to complete 'The Great Adventurer 7' within two weeks."

"Alright." Madam Magician's body stiffened for a second, then she forced a smile and said, "I've even thought of the promotional tagline, um, 'Want to see a more vivid and humane Gehrman Sparrow?'"

-x-X-x-

"Whether or not the Demoness of Black provided the corresponding mystical knowledge, you should perform the ritual in the next two days. I will help you forcefully locate and lock onto the Mirror Person. After this is done, I'll need to focus on meeting my deadline," Madam Magician said to Lumian as she floated in the East Lognes Forest near Chaillot Town.

Don't tell me you haven't even started writing yet—not a single word? When you said above the gray fog that you'd even thought of the promotional tagline, did you make that up on the spot? In that case, completing 'The Great Adventurer 7' in two weeks would be very difficult, unless you don't care about quality… Lumian pondered thoughtfully.

At the end of yesterday's small meeting, Madam Magician had promised in front of all the Major Arcana card holders that she would deliver the manuscript for 'The Great Adventurer 7' within two weeks.

The other Major Arcana card holders also expressed that they would quickly adjust Gehrman Sparrow's image within their own spheres of influence. The most important among these was the action to be taken by the Church of The Fool.

Mr. Sun would gather bishops from each parish in batches to undergo intensive theological training, adding corresponding interpretations and descriptions to their sermons while making minimal changes to the scripture.

Before Lumian could respond, Madam Magician added, "If you're really not ready to perform the ritual yet, then we can wait until two weeks later."

"I'm ready," Lumian calmly replied, standing atop a large tree, concealing himself in the shadows of the canopy.

At this time, Franca arrived at the estate that primarily grew grapes.

She once again saw Browns Sauron, with her orange-red long hair, clean and pure face, and hint of wildness.

"Long time no see," Franca smiled in greeting.

Browns looked at her and suddenly froze. "You seem to have become more beautiful."

"You've become more beautiful too," Franca observed Browns, noticing that her orange-red hair had become slightly darker, her features more delicate, and the touch of wildness in her demeanor made one unconsciously think of young girls who could participate in hunting in primitive tribes.

Browns withdrew her gaze and said with slight pride in a soft voice, "I'm now a Demoness of Affliction."

"If this were at sea, you'd have a chance to be called an admiral," Franca politely complimented.

What do you call that? That's called having class!

Browns strongly agreed with this, but said, "I feel like in recent years, Sequence 5 has become increasingly less valuable."

When the apocalypse comes, except for a few special saints, perhaps only Angels will be able to make a difference… Franca suddenly felt somewhat melancholic.

The two Demonesses chatted casually as they went deeper into the estate, arriving at the round pavilion situated among numerous grape vines and creepers.

The Demoness of Black, wearing a deep blue hat, her face partially obscured by a veil which only made her more alluring, was sitting inside.

"Teacher, Franca is here," Browns stepped forward and said softly.

The Demoness of Black turned to the side and cast her gaze upon Franca.

"Good morning, Madame," Franca first greeted with a smile, then said seriously and devoutly, "I have become a Demoness of Despair, under God's watch."

Demoness of Despair? Sequence 4 demigod? She became a demigod? Browns's beautiful eyes suddenly grew round.

When she and Franca first met, they were both just Demonesses of Pleasure, and in just over half a year, the other party had reached Sequence 4?

This was a qualitative change point, the gateway to godhood, the initial line separating humans from gods—how could it be so easy to cross and push open?

A Sequence 4 Demoness of Despair, even within the entire Demoness Sect, their numbers were quite limited, worthy of being called high-ranking, though not yet able to enter the core layer!

I thought my advancement speed was already fast enough… Browns momentarily felt dazed, unable to help questioning life.

The Demoness of Black showed no obvious emotional fluctuation, and only nodded after Franca finished speaking, "Thank God for Her favor, thank the Primordial One's grace."

She accepted it just like that? Has the Primordial Demoness given corresponding revelations? Franca, who was already prepared to flee the Demoness Sect at any time and wanted to get whatever benefits she could, quickly said, "After becoming a Demoness of Despair, I feel my connection with the Mirror Person has deepened, and it has undergone some sort of mutation. Could you teach me in detail about the mystical knowledge related to the Mirror Person?"

The Demoness of Black glanced at Franca and said with a slight smile, "After gaining godhood, you indeed should pay attention to such matters."

Her gaze swept over Browns as she continued, "The Mirror People of Demonesses always believe they are the original body, that they are the original who was separated after drinking the 'Witch' potion, imprisoned in the mirror world, serving as a mirror substitute and mirror magic medium. If you with your godhood believe this point, your soul, personality, and spirit will become incomplete because of it. Not only will you never have hope of reaching higher sequences, but you'll also have many problems in daily life, and the risk of losing control will also become very high.

"A Demoness's Mirror Person is essentially a product of the combination of potion power and mirror world rules, closer to a spiritual imprint and soul projection."

This is completely different from Moran Avigny's saying that a "Demoness's true self dwells within the mirror"… Although I prefer this explanation and am willing to accept it, the Demoness of Black probably hasn't revealed the whole truth. For example, why is the spiritual imprint and soul projection in a male state? After becoming a Witch, both body and soul have changed… Well, Moran Avigny, as a Mirror Person, his viewpoints and perspectives must also be biased… Combine the two? Franca listened quietly, thinking instinctively, without interrupting the Demoness of Black's explanation.

The Demoness of Black's voice took on several layers of complexity, with various emotions difficult to distinguish.

"This is also one of the reasons why males are more suited to the Demoness pathway.

"To further utilize the mirror world, one must inevitably face their own Mirror Person, and male Demonesses' Mirror Person is male—extreme, vengeful, hateful, males in pain who will be better attracted by a Demoness's charm, thereby becoming infatuated with us, both hating and obeying.

"Female Demonesses' Mirror People have stronger replacement desires and are harder to control."

Can it work like that? You were able to become a Demoness of Unaging because you charmed your mirror self and made him fall in love with you? What does tasting yourself feel like? Franca pondered internally.

Aren't Demonesses too twisted?

She thought for a moment and said sincerely, "Eventually we have to face our own Mirror Person?

"Will he be willing to meet with me? I feel he will deliberately avoid me using our mystical connection."

The Demoness of Black answered, "They will indeed avoid you. Although our Mirror Person will continuously grow stronger as our strength increases, being equivalent to a copy of our abilities, but as a Demoness's Mirror Person, they are naturally restricted, constrained, and weakened by the mirror world, like prisoners wearing shackles unable to perform normally. They're unlikely to be our match, so they will inevitably choose to avoid us.

"Only when you are weak enough, and there are no traps around, will you see him, face him.

"Remember, what you know, he knows."

Let the Mirror Person think there's an opportunity? And we share memories and abilities? Franca pondered for a few seconds and said, "In Underground Trier, I entered a special mirror world and encountered my own Mirror Person. That time, he faced me directly, without avoiding me in advance."

"The Mirror Person in the special mirror worlds is different from a Demoness's Mirror Person in the broader mirror world. What's useful to us is the latter," the Demoness of Black explained briefly.

Franca asked about some more details until the Demoness of Black no longer gave detailed answers.

She had to report other matters.

"Louis from the Emperor Party was very frustrated for a while earlier, seemingly unable to contact some important figure, but recently he's back to normal, showing no similar behavior."

"Very good, keep watching them," the Demoness of Black nodded slightly.

Franca received permission after taking her leave.

The Demoness of Black quietly watched her silhouette until she and Browns disappeared into the grape grove.

…

In the luxurious villa.

Franca detailed the mystical knowledge taught by the Demoness of Black to Lumian and Jenna.

"Are we performing the ritual today?" after they finished their discussion, Madam Magician asked.

"We can try. We'll only know what problems there are after we try," Lumian stood up, his black hair falling loose.

Madam Magician smiled and said, "No need to rush, wait for me."

As soon as she finished speaking, this Major Arcana card holder opened an illusory door of starlight and walked through it.

Soon after, she returned to this luxurious villa.

She had changed her clothes, wearing a deep black warlock's robe embroidered with silver stars.

"Look in the mirror, then use Mirror Substitution." Madam Magician's speech quickened slightly, as if she couldn't maintain her current state for too long.

Under Franca and Jenna's watchful eyes, Lumian walked to the full-length mirror in the bedroom.

Looking at the enchanting Demoness reflected in the mirror, he maintained a cold expression and actively used Mirror Substitution.

When the cracking sound rang out, the silver stars on Madam Magician's warlock robe began to glow, becoming increasingly numerous.

The surrounding darkness spread accordingly, and an illusory starry sky descended upon this room.

The brilliant stars moved rapidly, forming a directional, extremely complex key.

This was forcefully locating by borrowing the mystical connection between Lumian and his Mirror Person, utilizing the characteristic that the Mirror Person was the corresponding medium for mirror magic!

In just a second or two, Madam Magician's voice echoed ethereally, "Found him."

Countless starlight then fell, disappearing into the full-length mirror.

"I've briefly confined the target, you can go now," Madam Magician then said to Lumian.

Her voice had returned to normal.

Lumian nodded once, stepped into the full-length mirror, and following the starlight's guidance, traversed into the depths of the mirror world.

-x-X-x-

The endless darkness around seemed frozen, with points of starlight moving through it like liquid flowing through blood vessels in an illusory tunnel, helping Lumian traverse without losing his way.

In just about ten seconds, Lumian arrived at an area where the void was dark and heavy, forming a giant eggshell.

With his arrival, the guiding starlight ahead coalesced into a dreamlike door upon the eggshell.

As soon as Lumian passed through this door, he saw a familiar figure.

It was himself, his male state.

That handsome face was covered in blood stains, and his blue eyes revealed undisguised hatred and pain.

"Well well, having an Angel's help does make a difference!" Lumian's Mirror Person gave a thumbs up, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"If an Angel promises to help and you don't use her power, wouldn't that make you a fool?" Lumian let out his habitual scoff.

Lumian's Mirror Person stared fixedly at his female self, and after a few seconds said, "What are you here for?"

Lumian responded calmly. "To reconcile with you.

"If you're unwilling, I'll beat you into submission, charm you until you are."

Lumian's Mirror Person gave a self-mocking laugh, then said, "Okay."

"That simple?" Lumian raised an eyebrow that was much softer than his Mirror Person's.

His Mirror Person chuckled. "I'd rather replace you, but that would require your agreement too."

"If there's no other way, that could be considered." Lumian's lips curved into a smile, his face seeming to reflect a hint of starlight.

His Mirror Person froze for a moment and said, "We are essentially the same, the current me."

"The current me?" Lumian was partly concerned his mirror self had other schemes, and partly wanted to explore more knowledge about Mirror People to help Franca with the upcoming ritual, so he didn't rush forward to reconcile.

"After consuming the Witch or higher potions and stabilizing the birth of a Mirror Person, essentially a split of the self occurs during advancement, dividing into the me in the mirror and the me outside the mirror, the me of the original gender and the me of the current gender. When you became a Demoness of Despair, you still had Inevitability's boon, which caused a slight change in the split-the me in the mirror is the me of the original gender, also the past me, while the me outside is the me of the current gender, also the present me." The mirrored Lumian's face showed slight distortion. "This is my personal experience and feeling, it might not be entirely correct."

"If we reconcile, will we together form the future me?" Lumian asked thoughtfully.

"Perhaps." The mirrored Lumian sneered. "Who could have experience with this? Let's hurry up, don't waste time."

Seeing Lumian watching him without speaking, the mirrored Lumian smacked his lips and said, "If I replaced you, the ritual would definitely fall because the soul gender would be different. Then we'd forever remain at the Demoness of Despair sequence unless we switched to War Bishop. That's one path, but given the current situation, it would waste too much time.

"Gal, time waits for no one. Becoming a Demoness of Unaging is a crucial step to reviving Aurore. The sooner we take it, the better!"

Lumian was silent for a few seconds before saying. "You want to reconcile because reviving Aurore is more important?"

"Otherwise? Because of your charming personality?" the mirrored Lumian mocked.

He paused, composed his expression, and said in a deep voice, "We are the same person. Apart from hating you, cursing you, wanting to replace you, I have no other differences from you.

"And none of that matters."

"Indeed, none of that matters." Lumian finally smiled and walked toward his mirror self.

He extended his fair, slender hand with skin like congealed cream.

His mirror self also smiled.

"Since replacing you isn't the most important thing. between reconciliation, being enslaved, and being infatuated with you, I'll definitely choose reconciliation."

As he spoke, he also extended his right palm.

A broad, strong hand with bronze-colored skin.

The two hands, noticeably different in size, clasped together.

Lumian instantly felt the mystical connection between them become almost tangible, as if forming ropes, forming a spider web that enclosed them both.

In his eyes, his mirror self's face suddenly twisted.

The Mirror Person burst out cursing. "Son of a sow! Do you know that every time you use Mirror Substitution, I die once and then split off from you again?

"You piece of shit, let's switch places once, let you experience how painful it is!

"Trapped in this pitch-black place every day, no one to talk to, no one to interact with, I've nearly gone crazy. might as well die, but Aurore hasn't been revived yet!

"Haha, I'm always happy when you're suffering, so you have times like that too!

"Dammit, but I suffer while being happy, because what causes you pain makes me feel pain too, when you're in despair, I'm in despair too!

"Sometimes I think, letting me replace you to face all this. I'd rather die a few more times!

"My little cabbage, why can't you be happier, enjoy more, make me jealous, make me strongly want to replace you?

"…"

Lumian listened to his mirror self's angry curses without suppressing the emotional waves in his heart, as if he too was howling and venting similarly.

The two people in their handshake hadn't moved forward, yet they seemed to be getting closer and closer.

At this point, the mirrored Lumian stopped cursing.

He looked at Lumian, his expression serious, and said in a low voice, "We must revive Aurore."

He paused, then gritted his teeth and shouted. "Otherwise I won't let you off even as a ghost!"

"I won't let myself off either," Lumian responded in a deep voice.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt his perspective change.

He saw his female self with eyes as clear as a highland lake, features bright and dignified, carrying a peculiar sharpness, and he saw himself with a blood-stained face, expression no longer so twisted.

At this moment, Lumian had an understanding.

Using the help of the Demoness's spider silk, he took out with one hand from the Traveler's Bag the Demoness of Unaging's Beyonder characteristic that resembled a transparent spring eye, different parts of corpses to replace Mirror God fragments and Gorgon blood, drops of water from drowned people's lungs collected over these two days, and an antique mirror from the early Fifth Epoch.

Under the guidance of invisible spider silk, first the slightly yellow-tinted blood was poured into a glass cup, a full 80 milliliters, then the spring-like crystal, glass shard-like objects, blackened drops with pus, and the copper mirror with damaged decorations around its edges were successively placed into that cup of blood.

In an instant, the glass cup took on a grayish-white color, and all items inside quickly merged, gradually becoming illusory.

Soon, a glass of grayish-white liquid that clearly reflected the surrounding mirror world appeared before Lumian's eyes.

The "Unaging" potion!

Lumian, simultaneously having two perspectives, raised his left hand and brought the transparent grayish-white cup to his lips, drinking the potion inside.

He first tasted a mixture of soil and stone, then hist senses were numbed.

Wherever the potion passed, his tongue, mouth, esophagus, and stomach lost sensation, turning grayish-white.

This grayish-white was still seeping into his soul.

At this moment, Lumian felt his spirit float into the air, arriving at his mirror self's side, watching as his Demoness form gradually turned to stone, seemingly becoming a statue.

His mirror self also underwent corresponding changes, just much more slowly, much more gradually.

Lumian's spirit quickly descended, using his mirror self to maintain consciousness and avoid complete petrification.

He suddenly understood why the Demoness of Unaging's ritual involved enslaving one's Mirror Person, or making him infatuated, or reconciling with him, because otherwise, after taking the potion, as the body petrified and the spirit wandered toward the mirror self, it would meet the Mirror Person's strong resistance, and at this time one's strength could only be exerted to a limited degree, making the situation very precarious.

When the Mirror Person was also severely petrified, Lumian's spirit floated up again, returning to his body.

By now, his body had adapted to the potion and, under returning consciousness's drive, gradually shed its petrified state.

Then, he saw his mirror self changing, transforming toward femininity, and not far away, one after another version of himself emerged from the darkness-him when he had just become a Demoness of Despair, him when he was still an Pyromaniac, him when he had just arrived at Cordu Village, him when he was still wandering, him in childhood...

Every time he looked in a mirror, it left certain traces in the mirror world, and now they all appeared!

You can choose one of these selves, fixing that state...

This is the secret of how the Demoness of Unaging can restore youth...

No matter which state is chosen, it will inevitably feminize...

My mirror self has actually become a woman too... Is this because I chose reconciliation rather than enslavement or making him infatuated?

So it can work like this...

Lumian, still gradually relieving his petrified state.

watched as his mirror self became increasingly beautiful, becoming more and more like himself, but vaguely carrying some of Aurore's qualities.

Just as feelings of joy began to arise, a scene suddenly appeared before his eyes:

in endless darkness, an indistinct figure suddenly turned toward this direction.

In just the blink of an eye, this figure arrived at the edge of that darkness, quietly looking down at Lumian.

This was similar to the Primordial Demoness's gaze when Lumian advanced to Demoness of Despair, but somewhat different.

Under this gaze, Lumian instantly lost most sensation, left with only a hazy consciousness struggling not to sink.

Shortly after, he opened his eyes to find himself wrapped in layers of grayish-white spider webs, like prey stored by a spider, or like a newborn in an egg.

The next second, the spider web silently collapsed. falling to the ground. Lumian's ordinary clothes, weakened by the earlier petrification and current recovery, quickly turned to powder and drifted away. revealing lustrous, delicate white skin.

While taking out and changing into clothes from the Traveler's Bag, Lumian looked around.

He then saw his Demoness-state mirror self.

He smiled, and that Mirror Person smiled too.

They were no longer separate-Lumian was both the self outside the mirror and the self inside the mirror, both the past self and the present self.

This was a Demoness of Unaging.