After lunch, Klein Moretti sat beside Adrian Abraham, quietly awaiting the Tarot Club's start. Adrian casually conjured a Wall of Spirituality, isolating the room from the outside. As Klein ascended to the gray fog to summon the members, Adrian withdrew some Sefirot protection from his avatar's will, following Klein to the Sefirah Castle.
The familiar gray fog and hazy figures came into view. Audrey Hall, newly promoted to Sequence 8, half-stood, gracefully lifting her skirt, and greeted cheerfully, "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool! Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. Sun, and Mr. White Tower!"
After two weeks without a Tarot Club, Audrey's mood was noticeably buoyant.
Klein, with his Spirit Vision active, leveraged the gray fog's uniqueness to observe subtle changes in Miss Justice's etheric body, its astral surface purer and more unified. He chuckled lightly, "Welcome, our Miss Telepathist."
It had been two weeks, and Audrey had digested her Telepathist potion, becoming a proud Sequence 8.
"Good afternoon, Miss Justice," Adrian nodded, acknowledging Audrey.
"Mr. Fool, I've gathered 19 pages of Roselle's diaries," Alger Wilson said, standing and bowing respectfully. "Since you didn't hold a meeting last week, I memorized extra content. I still have 7 pages to memorize, which I hope to submit next time."
Alger's reverence stemmed from the Tarot Club's prior collective action, proving the Fool's might. The gray fog left by a "Favored" had made Qilangos vanish before a saint, leaving no trace.
Amid awe, Alger harbored deep fear of the mysterious Fool. If a Favored could erase Qilangos, betraying the Fool would be unthinkable. Shuddering at the memory of the dissipating fog, he swallowed hard, suppressing blasphemous thoughts.
Klein nodded gently, his voice low and relaxed. "No issue. This is the principle of equivalent exchange. I'm not in a rush; no need for guilt."
Alger exhaled, nodding humbly, manifesting the diary pages. Klein's gaze dropped to the first page:
"December 16th: Contacted that poor soul trapped in the storm's depths, lost in darkness again."
A continuation from an earlier note… Klein's heart lifted, his focus sharpening:
"He called himself Mr. Door, trying to teach me a complex, difficult ritual to return him to reality, promising to grant three wishes."
Mr. Door! Klein's mind surged with shock. No longer the mystical novice from Tingen, he'd spent the past two weeks, alongside interview prep, cramming on occultism, Beyonders, and secret organizations. As the True Creator's Favored, he accessed much of the Aurora Order's records, including Saint of Secrets' Abraham family intel:
Per Abraham records, Mr. Door was their ancestor and the source of their curse—making him Adrian's ancestor too! Adrian had mentioned Mr. Door as half-hidden existence, half-evil god, though even he seemed uncertain, underscoring Mr. Door's enigma.
From Adrian's occult knowledge, "Door" was the Sequence 0 of the Apprentice pathway, like Fool for Seer. Learning this, Klein wondered if his self-styled Fool title had Beyonder influences, a question he couldn't yet answer.
Nervously, Klein read on, finding much of Roselle's diary aligning with Adrian's teachings. He glanced at Adrian: Looks like Old Adrian's vast occult knowledge likely stems from Roselle's diaries… He's been here longer, seen more. I need to prioritize diary collection…
Klein wasn't abandoning Adrian's potential diary sources but grew wary after learning of the Aurora Order's Demoness Sect ties. The Aurora Order was an evil cult pre-transmigration, and even Adrian, a True Creator Favored, might not fully control it.
Trust was precious. Klein hesitated to probe Adrian about the Demoness Sect or request diaries, feeling indebted for his help.
Subsequent diary pages detailed Roselle, a Second Epoch powerhouse, mocking Cognizer strength and discussing the Intis coup. Shockingly, Roselle Gustav, the era's great emperor, was once an ordinary student.
Sorry, Emperor, you shouldn't write everything in your diary… Klein mentally apologized, continuing. The next entry jolted him:
"October 29th: Zaratul, Hermit Order leader, visited again, chatting casually without specifics. I couldn't guess his true intent—perhaps to strengthen communication and mutual understanding?"
"Having met two church high-sequencers, I feel Zaratul is stronger, more mysterious. Half-jokingly, I asked his sequence, and he answered!"
"He said he's a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker!"
A true terrestrial angel… and my pathway's angel. When will I reach that level? Klein mused, post-Tingen's disaster fueling his sequence-climbing ambition. But the next line chilled him:
"He added cryptically, the Life School of Thought worships the moon."
For Klein, this was eerie, recalling Adrian's words: "In occult terms, summoning evil gods excludes the Primordial Moon or Mother Tree of Desire. They're not evil gods."
Is this moon the Primordial Moon? Does the Life School worship this 'non-evil god'? If not an evil god, what is it? Klein puzzled, having asked Adrian, who seemed unclear. Scanning the remaining trivial entries, Klein tapped his chair's armrest, saying calmly:
"Roselle's diaries mention obscured history and basic truths, the latter reminding me I haven't shared them."
"Mr. Fool, what truths did Roselle's diaries reveal? I'll pay for the information," Audrey interjected, adding silently, But I request private exchange!
Klein chuckled, "No need; these are simple truths."
"As the Tarot Club's convener, I deem it necessary for you to know, though some already do," he said, eyeing Sun from Silver City. As for Adrian? He taught me occultism.
Stopping his tapping, Klein stated flatly, "First truth: Law of Beyonder Characteristic Indestructibility. Characteristics never perish or diminish, only transfer between entities."
"Second truth: Law of Beyonder Characteristic Conservation in Adjacent Sequences."
These arcane laws struck Alger and Derrick Berg, who grasped their brutal implications—humans were Beyonder materials too. Both fell silent.
Fascinating. The original Creator's cruelest curse and blessing on Beyonder creatures, the High-Dimensional Overseer mused. He'd seen countless beings slaughter kin over this law, others inheriting family characteristics to avenge wrongs.
The High-Dimensional Overseer answered all who dared call Him, offering tasks for equivalent exchange. Callers were desperate—power-hungry or vengeful, lucky to know His Honorific Name. Unlike Earth, with its primal barrier and abundant characteristics, other planets saw Him as near-omnipotent.
Risky tasks yielded greater power. Few resisted incrementally harder missions. Most summoned by the High-Dimensional Overseer perished, though some gained power and died fulfilled.
In the characteristic-scarce cosmos, traits mostly came from others, forging dark forest loops in the black universe.
Adrian listened as Alger asked about adjacent pathways. Klein moved to answer, but Adrian interjected, "I know the answer."
Eyes turned to Adrian, ignoring Klein's mock-resentful glance. Adrian addressed Alger, "For the answer, trade maritime supplies. Also, the captain I planned for needs replacing due to issues. The new Beyonder lacks enhanced learning abilities, so your maritime lessons may start sooner."
"No problem," Alger agreed. "I'll teach her myself. As captain, I'm the most experienced."
"Agreed," Adrian nodded. Audrey, anxious to learn about adjacent pathways, spoke up, "Mr. White Tower, I also want the answer. What's the cost?"
"For the answer, help me with something," Adrian said. "Mr. Fool, I request a private exchange with Miss Justice."
Klein nodded, enveloping them in gray fog. Smiling, Adrian said, "Hello, Miss Audrey. Long time no see."
"Hello, Mr. Abraham," Audrey replied, curious. "What do you need help with?"
"A small matter," Adrian sighed. "I'm a minor Loen noble but haven't been in Backlund long, so integrating into noble circles is tough."
"You and Glaint are the only nobles I know. I'd like you to display my paintings at your banquet to help me blend into noble society faster."
So, Adrian wants to join Backlund's nobles… Like me, he's hustling for his potion. Backlund's complex, with major church branches and evil cultists… Klein tapped his armrest, musing unconsciously.
(End of Chapter)