Chapter 389 The Sun's Fate
At the Hanged Man's reminder, Sun, with the help of Mr. Fool, projected his experiences onto the bronze table like realistic paintings.
There were rows of old buildings on the streets, ancient temples with collapsed stone pillars, statues hanging upside down on crosses, mushrooms that turned into flesh and blood after being burned, murals of the "Fallen Creator" bearing the disaster for mankind, and the little yellow-haired boy Jack.
With the vivid explanation given by "Sun" Derrick, everyone was filled with both excitement and doubt. Especially when he showed a mural in the middle of the wall, depicting the fallen Creator fighting against the six evil gods and protecting the surviving humans, the Tarot Club members who belonged to different believers of the righteous gods felt a chill in their hearts.
In the hazy projection, beside the fallen Creator hanging upside down on the cross, on the only ground not eroded by darkness, countless humans are kneeling and praying to Him. Around the picture, six figures hidden in the darkness surround them.
Weird eyes swarm around a woman in a black classical dress, tentacles grow out of the golden face of a man in a white robe, a monster holding a trident has an octopus-like head, a plump and soft lady holds a baby with a rotten face, an armored giant holding a sword stands against the desolate dusk, and a long-bearded old man holding a book reveals an evil smile.
Everyone at the long table realized something, but didn't dare to think about it too much.
"What kind of evil god is this?"
The magician, who thought she was experienced, asked in surprise. She had no memory of these figures at all.
Everyone looked at each other, and finally turned their gaze to Mr. Fool, expecting him to give an answer as usual.
"I've seen these sights."
The one who answered was Mr. World, who was sitting opposite him and below him. His voice was hoarse, and after everyone looked at him, he continued:
"That's an ancient relic from the Fourth Epoch. Inside are six similar statues, but their images are slightly different. They're also engraved with the familiar holy emblem. Mr. Fool, please allow me to show them."
He projected the statue from his memory above the table.
Angel immediately recognized the familiar dark holy emblem. It was below a statue of a woman wearing a black dress and with a face similar to that of a beautiful woman. It was obvious that this was the human image of the Goddess of Night, but it had not been distorted or slandered by the murals in the temple of the real Creator.
Based on the holy emblem, everyone quickly identified the true identities of all six "evil gods". Mr. Sun was also surprised to find murals of righteous gods from the "outside world" near Silver City. Although they had been alienated, it was obvious that this meant that his connection with the world of the other Tarot Club members was not as distant as previously imagined.
"But why is there no God of Steam and Machinery?"
Miss Magician raised another question.
I know this question!
Angel straightened up excitedly. She had just learned the history of the Fourth Epoch from Klein that morning.
"Because the God of Craftsmen, now the God of Steam and Machinery, only became one of the Seven Gods in the middle to late Fourth Epoch. Perhaps this mural was painted before this time, and therefore does not include Him."
"This means that regardless of whether it's true or not, this mural is two thousand years old," the Hanged Man added. He turned to face the sun and warned, "This painting and the mysterious child Jack may be the key to breaking the cycle. Try communicating with Jack, or physically 'breaking' the mural. Well, or, without arousing the Chief's suspicion, change your exploration route and see if you can find some new clues."
"Thank you, kind Mr. Hanged Man. I've indeed heard quite a few clues from my companions that I hadn't noticed before, such as the mural depicting the 'Rose of Redemption' and the room filled with unidentified instruments. I will explore them during this cycle."
Derrick expressed his sincere gratitude for the Hanged Man's tip, and seemed a little stunned when he heard the word "kindness".
Angel also felt that the term "Redemption Rose" sounded familiar. She quickly remembered that it was the organization related to the "True Creator" mentioned by the evil spirit wandering underground in Backlund. It seemed that there might indeed be clues about them in the temple explored by the sun.
She did not ask, but looked forward to the progress of the subsequent exploration at the next Tarot meeting.
After resolving the Sun's troubles, Miss Magician materialized the three diaries of Emperor Roselle that she had found. After Mr. Fool's reading time ended, everyone entered a time of free communication and trading.
"Everyone," the new member, Mr. Moon, was not as shy as the previous members and was the first to ask, "Who knows how the vampires can improve their strength without relying on the elders?"
Blood clan... vampire? Him?
Angel looked at the tall, thin figure, quickly matching him with the figure of the only vampire he knew, and his eyes widened.
It was Emlyn White! The unfortunate fellow who had been captured and psychologically manipulated by the Earth Mother's favored ones, hoping to rely on Mr. Fool's power to escape his current situation!
The other members had similar reactions. Even if they didn't know Emlyn, they could guess that the other party was the vampire himself based on this question.
"I know how to improve the strength of the vampires."
The person who answered this question was still the Hanged Man, who had unparalleled knowledge and experience in mysticism.
"What kind of compensation do you need?"
"We are all members of the Tarot Club. Information of this level is free."
Emlyn the Moon, who was well aware of the price of transactions between Beyonders, was stunned. He lowered his head slightly and expressed his gratitude to the generous Hanged Man.
"Vampires can also advance through the use of corresponding potions, but just like normal humans taking potions, they must follow a strict order and also need to, uh, digest them before proceeding to the next step."
"But that would mean I would have to kill my own kind and use his Beyonder properties to make potions!"
Emlyn quickly rejected this method, but he didn't express surprise at the Hanged Man's slight probing. This showed that even within the vampire race, they were aware of the principles of acting and conservation of Beyonder characteristics.
"However, if a fellow vampire's Beyonder traits are lost, you should have the obligation and responsibility to retrieve them, right?" The Hanged Man said with a smile, as if he was convinced of this principled vampire. "I happen to know the clues to the traits left behind by a vampire baron. He died in an accident, and no one was able to inherit his legacy. You can inherit his legacy through a potion, preventing the power from being lost."
"...You're right. I do have this responsibility. So, what price should I pay?"
Even though his mind was opened by the Hanged Man, Mr. Moon did not think that this Beyonder feature would be as "free" as the above information.
"4,000 to 5,000 pounds, including my search fee. The exact amount won't be determined until I find the owner of the trait."
"Five thousand pounds?"
Emlyn asked back in surprise.
Angel wasn't surprised by the price. Although the Hanged Man liked to add his own share of the reward to the transaction, his bids were always fair. This price meant that the Beyonder characteristic of the "Vampire Baron" corresponded to a Sequence 6 main ingredient for the potion. And based on Emlyn's path, it should be a Sequence 6 "Pharmacist" path.
It's reasonable for this sequence of characteristics to be sold for 3,000-4,000 pounds. Considering the strict inheritance within the blood clan, the corresponding extraordinary characteristics that are lost outside are bound to be rare, so some premium is normal.
Indeed, after a brief moment of surprise, Emlyn quickly agreed to the deal, but he would make a final decision after determining the price.
Next came Miss Justice. The "Mirror Dragon Blood" and "Fruit of the Elder Tree" she needed were likely the relevant materials for Sequence 7 "Psychologist". Mr. Moon quickly promised to help her find them within his circle and followed suit, asking for a reward of 100 pounds.
Emlyn is a quick learner... Angel thought to himself, and after the two of them fulfilled their agreement, he said aloud:
"Selling the 'Frenzy Ring' for just 2,000 pounds. This magical item, derived from the Beyonder characteristic of the 'Psychologist', will be yours."
In light of the new members joining, she described the item's function again. Emlyn seemed somewhat interested, but the high price deterred him. Miss Justice was equally interested and inquired:
"Is there a way to fully extract the extraordinary properties of a magical item? I mean, I want the properties of the 'psychiatrist' itself, not the magical item itself."
"An attack powerful enough to destroy a magical item might be possible, but it might contaminate the Beyonder properties and is not reliable..."
Angel remembered that after his "Thirst for Blood" exploded under the side effect of the "Shattered Light Ray", it left behind the "Witch" extraordinary characteristics that originally constituted it, but this characteristic was originally contaminated, and the same was true after it was restored.
Many magical items that were not created by craftsmen were formed from the characteristics left behind by out-of-control Beyonders. This method of "extraction" was not safe.
She turned her gaze towards Mr. Fool.
"There are many ways, but none of them are accessible to you now."
The powerful, secretive being whispered a reminder.
It's not something we can touch... Perhaps it would take a demigod or even an angel to extract its properties and safely eliminate the contamination. Well, the black-haired lady who erased Panatia's existence might be able to do it, but I can't contact her at all, and there's no way I'd bother an angel for a 2,000-pound deal...
Angel and Justice sighed regretfully together, the former because the ring was unsold again, and the latter because he was worried about the potion for his beloved dog Susie.
Finally, there is the secret deal between the World and the Hanged Man. The craftsmen contacted by the Hanged Man are very busy at the end of the year, and the magical item ordered by Miss Justice may take one to two weeks to produce.
So far, although this Tarot Club has booked many deals, none of them have actually been completed, as if it has entered a period of fatigue at the end of the year.
"Heh, I have another piece of news. Pirates have been getting more active at sea lately, for unknown reasons. If you're planning to go out to sea soon, it's best not to stray from the safe shipping lanes," the Hanged Man chuckled, sharing his newfound information. "Although the rules set by Nast, the 'King of the Five Seas,' stipulate that most pirates only rob and not kill, not all pirate generals obey him. 'Admiral of Hell,' Ludwell, the captain of the 'Black Tulip,' enjoys slaughtering entire captured ships with blood, while 'Admiral of Blood,' Senior, relishes blood. After allowing his men to commit all sorts of evil deeds, he even sells the ravaged girls to different islands."
The name really suits him... Angel thought with some resentment.
The situation in Backlund fell into a brief and strange calm after the heavy smog. After Miss Justice shared what she had heard about the movements of the upper echelons, the Tarot Club came to an end.
…
The crimson in front of her eyes faded away, and Angel returned to the first-class suite bedroom on the White Agate. She first pricked up her ears, listening to the movement outside the door, and only breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the sound of the toilet flushing in the bathroom.
"Looks like the timing was perfect. Praise be to Mr. Fool for returning me to the real world just in time..."
She thought happily, opened the bedroom door, and walked out pretending to be tired.
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