Buzz...
Gray mist surged, revealing deep red, filling the air with an eerie atmosphere.
Upon seeing this, Cao Ya's eyes flickered slightly, and he pondered for a moment.
He was randomly selected by Source Castle and pulled into the gray fog, becoming a member of the Tarot Club founded by Klein.
However, he was well aware of the Tarot Club's situation and knew everything about the "Fool" that Klein was impersonating.
The current tarot community is not strong enough.
Therefore, he rarely attends meetings.
Of course, he had also previously recognized Klein's other identity—"The World" Gehrman Sparrow.
Before entering the system space, Cao Ya had been to Tingen City and taught Klein, serving as his unofficial teacher.
At the same time, he stopped the Tingen City descent orchestrated by Ince Zangwell using the sealed artifact 0-08, preventing a tragedy from occurring, and Dunn and the others survived.
Klein left Tingen City for Backlund due to issues with his identity and other reasons, where he took on the hidden identity of "The World" Gehrman Sparrow.
As the current master of the Source Castle, Klein possesses an extremely high status through the Source Castle; he is not a god, but he is better than a god!
To outsiders, his disguise as a "fool" appeared to be genuine.
Even those with expertise in the "Fool" path would instinctively wonder about the "Fool's" identity in this Tarot deck. What secret character is impersonating it? Or... has its uniqueness been activated?
They would never have imagined that the one posing as the "Fool" was none other than the "World" within the Tarot community.
A few who glimpsed the truth, such as Amon and Adam, also planned not to spread the news.
Because of their shared origins, the Goddess of Night chose to nurture Klein, who was both the "Fool" and the "World."
"Speaking of which, Klein doesn't know yet, but I already know the details of 'The Fool'," Cao Ya suddenly smiled.
It wasn't that Klein intentionally concealed it; there's simply no way to explain it.
After all, the identity of "the world" has not been concealed.
The existence of the Source Castle is not yet fully clear to Klein, and there are still some points of doubt.
Cao Ya, on the contrary, had a deep understanding.
However, Klein would not ask about this matter on his own initiative, nor would he bring it up.
After a few thoughts raced through his mind, he finally decided that he should still attend the Tarot gathering.
"Whoosh~~"
Once the resistance ceased, a mysterious force surged forth, gentle yet overwhelming.
If they weren't docile, the Tarot clubs that initially consisted entirely of low- to mid-level members, and even included ordinary people, would never have existed, because each time they were pulled, a group of people would die. Such an organization simply wouldn't have the conditions to exist.
As for the powerful aura...
Source Castle is one of the nine original source materials left behind. It may be a part of her body, or it may be a divine object she created.
In short, it is incredibly mysterious and related to the past.
That's an existence above even the Sequence Zero True God!
How could it not possess divine power as vast as the ocean?!
******
At three o'clock in the afternoon, above the gray fog, inside the ancient palace, streaks of deep red light rose up and quickly solidified into corresponding human figures.
The top-ranked "Fool" and "The World" Gehrman Sparrow are both pseudonyms of Klein.
There are also members who were already there when Cao Ya came last time: "Justice" Audrey, "Hermit" Cattleya, "Sun" Derrick, "Hanged Man" Alger, "Magician" Fors, and "Moon" Emlyn.
Including the two newest members of the Tarot Club – “The Star” Leonard and “The Trial” Hugh.
Coincidentally, both of them knew Cao Ya in real life.
Furthermore, I learned from others that Cao Ya was also a member of the Tarot Club.
Therefore, I was not surprised when I saw Cao Ya appear.
I was just a little curious: why did Cao Ya, who had been absent many times, accept the invitation this time?
Not only "Star" Leonard and "Judgment" Hugh, but also the other veteran members, including Klein himself, were quite curious about this matter.
At the same time, Klein breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He knew very well that Cao Ya was extremely powerful. Even he, who was already a Sequence Four "Demigod" (i.e., a Sequence Four "Trickster" on the "Fool" path) and had reached the threshold of Sequence Three "Ancient Scholar," had no confidence whatsoever that he could stand up to Cao Ya.
In reality, Cao Ya's titles of "Boiler of the Sea," "Owner of the Death Ship," and "King of the Strongest Pirates" are renowned far and wide!
Everyone knows that Cao Ya, who can become the "Strongest Pirate King", is not someone to be trifled with.
For Klein, having such a powerful figure in the Tarot Club is a good thing.
He was familiar with Cao Ya, and they could be considered both teacher and friend.
Just like Mr. Azik.
"If you encounter an enemy you can't handle, you can always ask Mr. Cao Ya for help..."
Klein thought to himself.
Compared to what he is about to do, no amount of effort in preparation is excessive.
As far as he knew, the war between the Kingdom of Rune and the Empire of Fusak involved angels of Sequence Two and above.
Even the true god of sequence zero tacitly approves.
In critical moments, he might personally step in!
Even though Klein intended to advance to Sequence 3 of the "Fool" path and become an "Ancient Scholar," who could be called a saint, he had little confidence in it.
Do your best.
How innocent are the people of the world?
Why should we make needless sacrifices for ambitious people?
Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.
"Justice" Audrey was the first to stand up, lifting her skirt slightly, and bowed to "The Fool" Klein, who sat at the head of the bronze table in the ancient palace.
Of all the members of the Tarot Club, only Cao Ya knew the origins of "The Fool".
The other members all believed that it was an ancient god that had been resurrected.
He's at least a first-order archangel!
Perhaps he could be called the "King of Angels"!
Therefore, how could I dare not show respect?
Furthermore, joining the Tarot Club provides them with a wealth of knowledge, trading opportunities, and friends, all of which are invaluable to them.
After Miss Justice, almost all the members saluted the Fool at the head of the table.
Even Klein's other alias, "The World" Gehrman Sparrow, is no exception.
Otherwise, we'll be exposed.
Cao Ya thought for a moment, but did not expose him. He nodded to the "Fool" that Klein was impersonating.
Klein was practically his student, how could he possibly salute?!
A nod is enough.
While the other members were secretly surprised that he did this as the "strongest pirate king," they quickly came to accept it.
It should be noted that Sequence 2 and Sequence 1 can also be referred to as following God.
They have already taken their first steps into the realm of the gods.
In the members' view, Cao Ya must be an angel, that is, a god from ancient times.
The minimum guarantee is a second-tier sequence!
Even Klein thought so.
Such beings are worthy of respect even by a true god of Sequence Zero; they would never belittle them.
Therefore, his behavior was considered reasonable and logical by the other members.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Cao Ya." Audrey gave Cao Ya another aristocratic bow.
As the daughter of a high-ranking noble in the Kingdom of Rune, Miss Justice's upbringing is impeccable.
Moreover, they possessed a deep sense of compassion and were willing to help the people, unlike the arrogant nobles who looked down upon the working class.
To be precise, with Klein, the "Fool," overseeing the members of the Tarot Club, there are no arrogant nobles or cruel and vicious individuals among them.
Otherwise, the atmosphere within the organization wouldn't be so harmonious.
“Mr. Cao Ya.” Hugh and Leonard both gestured to Cao Ya again.
In real life, they had both known Cao Ya for a long time.
After several tarot readings, the other members also knew this, so they were not surprised.
"Mr. Cao Ya, why did you suddenly decide to attend the organization's regular gathering? Aren't you not supposed to attend?" "The Sun" Derrick asked curiously.
Around them, Alger the Hanged Man, Fors the Magician, Audrey the Justice, and Cattleya the Hermit all had a hint of helplessness flash across their faces.
Little Sun's personality is just too straightforward.
Don't ask so directly!
Be more tactful.
Emlyn gave a soft hum, thinking to himself, "He's still the most polite one."
Then Mr. "Moon" spoke up: "Mr. Cao Ya, are you in trouble? Have you come to ask for help?"
"..." A group of members.
You two are truly evenly matched, like a hidden dragon and a phoenix.
If it weren't for the fear of losing the composure of a "big shot," I would have loved to facepalm and give him a piece of my mind about Klein's disguise as the "Fool."
However, the smaller version of "World," in order to maintain its "crazy adventurer" spirit, is also not in a position to make such a move.
In short, he was speechless.
Leonard, the "star," had no such concerns and rubbed his temples without much regard for his image.
"Little Sun and Moon, when it comes to etiquette and conversation, they can't even compare to me, it's really..."
Leonard shook his head inwardly.
"Judgment" Hugh glanced at "Magician" Fors without changing his expression, as if asking a question.
She had only been a member of the Tarot Club for a short time, and her understanding of the other members was not as good as Fors'.
These two girls are good friends in real life, and the phrase "depending on each other for survival" is not an exaggeration.
They also became members of the "Tarot Club" organization one after the other.
Fors shrugged, his shoulders slightly raised.
The meaning is quite clear: the sun and the moon have this kind of personality.
Like Leonard, Fors doesn't care about his image when he's with people he knows well.
"There are some things, but most of your sequences are still a bit lacking," Cao Ya replied with a smile.
Nowadays, most Tarot readings involve Sequence 4 demigods or Sequence 5 demigods, who are very close to being demigods.
There are none of the Saints of Sequence Three, or even the Angels of Sequence Two and above.
Only a handful of "unofficial members," including Mr. Azik and Renette Tinicol.
His plan initially required the participation of demigods, and later on, even true gods might not be qualified.
To deal with the original state without going back to the old days is to futile.
The former status is above the true god of sequence zero.
Allowing those who are not qualified to participate is not a sign of respect, but a cruel act of harm, sending them to their deaths.
They were even unable to die, and unable to live!
The members sitting on the chairs around the long bronze table were speechless for a moment after hearing Cao Ya's words.
However, upon closer examination, one must admit that this statement makes sense.
"I heard from the Queen that the new owner of the 'Death Note' truly deserves the title of 'King of the Strongest Pirates'." Cattleya thought to herself, although the Queen did not say it directly, she guessed that Cao Ya's sequence must be at least a Sequence Two Angel.
On the high seas, there are pirate kings and pirate generals.
Cattleya is the "Admiral of the Stars".
She relied on Bernadette Gustave, one of the pirate kings, known as the "Mysterious Queen".
He was raised by a mysterious queen from a young age, who taught him knowledge, and he has a deep affection for her.
The four pirate kings were originally ranked as follows: the "King of the Five Seas" was first, followed by the Mysterious Queen, the Undying King, and the King of the Black Sea, and then the Pirate General.
Later, Cao Ya rose to power, killed the "Undying King," and personally took control of the "Death Sent." From then on, the captain of the Death Sent was no longer his puppet—the Undying King was of that identity, and the "Death Sent" was used to deceive people—but his master.
Piloting the Deathscythe, Cao Ya reigned supreme over the seas, enjoying immense prestige. The King of the Five Seas, the Mysterious Queen, and the King of the Black Sea could not compare.
That's why he earned the title of "King of the Strongest Pirates".
He had also encountered the other three great kings: the King of the Five Seas and the King of the Black Sea. They retreated immediately upon contact, not daring to linger, and Cao Ya was too lazy to pursue them.
However, I had a conversation with the mysterious queen.
Therefore, the mysterious queen knew Cao Ya's strength well, and the title of "Strongest Pirate King" was well-deserved.
I occasionally meet with Jia Deli, and when we talk about Cao Ya, I mention him a couple of times.
In fact, the current "Hermit" Cattleya is already vaguely known as the new "Pirate King".
He's at least a Sequence Four "Mystic".
She belongs to the "hermit" path.
Different methods result in different sequence names.
In fact, these names differ across different eras.
"I wonder what exactly is causing Mr. Cao Ya's trouble?" Gadriya's eyes darkened slightly.
Although she was adrift at sea, she kept a close eye on the world situation.
The war between the two superpowers involved far too many factors, both overt and covert.
Cattleya also knew that the mysterious queen was involved in this scheme.
It seems she wanted to stop the war, but judging from the results, the mysterious queen's efforts were clearly in vain.
Like Cattleya, Alger, the "Hanged Man" floating on the sea, also understands Cao Ya's terror more than the other members.
In today's world, the name "Cao Ya" is more useful than anything else.
This undoubtedly provoked the hostility of the Lord of Storms.
However, for the time being, due to certain considerations, the Lord of Storms has not sent down any divine message to Cao Ya, nor has he personally intervened to confront Cao Ya.
"Is Mr. Cao Ya's matter related to angels on earth? Could it be..." Alger thought to himself, his brows furrowing slightly.
To date, he still belongs to the Church of Storms.
If the main target of the storm is Cao Ya, the "owner of the Death Note"...
Alger pondered whether he should go undercover or... go undercover.
Seeing that the atmosphere around the bronze table seemed to have become heavy, Cao Ya smiled and said, "You all talk about your things first, and I'll talk about mine last."
"Perhaps you'll understand better then, who knows?"
As he spoke, Cao Ya shrugged.
The faces of the group members were shrouded in gray mist, making it impossible to discern their expressions.
"The Fool" Klein nodded slightly, displaying the demeanor of a "big shot," as if everything was under his control.
His gaze shifted slightly and settled on Cattleya.
He still owes the "Hermit" eight questions.
The "Hermit" Cattleya dared not look directly at the god, lowered her head, and asked with perfect composure:
“Dear Mr. Fool, there are two questions this time.”
"Excuse me, what is the state of the demons in the abyss?"
"Was Emperor Roselle influenced by external or hidden factors in his later years?"
Upon hearing these two questions, Cao Ya's heart stirred.
He guessed that these two questions were probably what the mysterious queen wanted to ask.
Emperor Roselle was a "time traveler" sent from an earlier era by the Source Castle. He accomplished many great things and changed the times.
However, in his later years, Emperor Roselle's actions deviated from those of his youth, as if the dragon-slaying hero had ultimately become the dragon himself and fallen into depravity.
This also led to a rift between the Mysterious Queen and Emperor Roselle.
It should be noted that the mysterious queen was the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle.
They should have been on the same side.
Later, after Emperor Rosell's death, the mysterious queen continued to investigate the truth behind the event, and was even more eager to understand whether the changes in Emperor Rosell in his later years were from his own heart or influenced by external factors.
The former shows that Emperor Roselle had indeed fallen into depravity.
If it's the latter...
Cao Ya guessed that the mysterious queen might be about to make a new enemy in order to avenge her deceased father!
However, the corruption that Roselle suffered from came from the past.
Such beings are so terrifying that even true gods would turn pale at the mere mention of them.
How could a mysterious queen, who is only at the third rank, possibly seek revenge?
However, since Emperor Roselle was not completely dead, he was not entirely without a chance of being resurrected.
At least, at his peak, Emperor Roselle reached Sequence One.
Moreover, the forced conversion to "Black Emperor" is almost successful.
It was the erosion of the past that ultimately led to its failure.
But he didn't die; he's still inside the mausoleum.
Self-imprisonment!
"By comparison, it's also a tragedy," Cao Ya sighed inwardly.
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