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Klein's heart sank, but he maintained a calm facade, nodding slightly, while secretly praying that Miss Justice's question wouldn't be beyond his scope. Otherwise, he would have to use the excuse, "This is not something you should know yet."
Audrey pondered for a few seconds before saying:
"Bansy Harbor, north of the Berserk Sea, has been blockaded by the Church of the Lord of Storms for over half a year, and the nearby waters are still inaccessible."
"I want to know the reason for the blockade, or what Beyonder incident led to it."
Feeling her somewhat expectant gaze, Klein inwardly thought, "Not good." He knew about the Berserk Sea; it was the ocean separating the Northern and Southern Continents, famous for its numerous Calamities and treacherous currents.
But that was only from the original owner's memories. It had barely been a month since he transmigrated, and he had been caught up in a series of events. Let alone the Berserk Sea, he hadn't even seen Enmat Harbor, the closest port to Tingen. He could only rely on the Tingen Honest Man newspaper for maritime news.
However, that wasn't entirely accurate. His first real business as a Seer was to divine the "Clover" ship, which was ruined by the Instigator, Trissy. At that time, he had witnessed the Berserk Sea in a dream.
The fact that it was blockaded by the Church of the Lord of Storms, and not the Loen Navy, already indicated that the matter involved a very high level.
Fortunately, the honorific name he had concocted didn't include "Omnipotent and Omniscient." As a hidden existence still in recovery, who had just revived from ancient times, a lack of understanding of recent events, though damaging to The Fool's image, was still quite reasonable.
Klein thought this, then considered Mr. Emperor, who was already a High-Sequence powerhouse. He weighed it in his mind but did not speak.
Suppressing the urge to pinch his brow, facing a Spectator, even with the gray fog's obstruction, Klein controlled his demeanor. Then, he leaned back comfortably in the high-backed chair, adopting a "I'm going to test you" posture, scrutinizing the other two Tarot Club members.
Under the gaze of this hidden existence, Alger's heart skipped a beat. He decisively sold out the Church of the Lord of Storms:
"Actually, the Church of the Lord of Storms only blockaded it for the first month, and then designated it as a forbidden zone."
"After the blockade was lifted, many pirates, disbelieving the so-called danger, explored it. But any ship that entered the waters near Bansy Harbor disappeared without a trace."
"Many pirates already consider it a more dangerous forbidden zone than the Sea of Ruins in the Sonia Sea, but it also makes more people believe that incredible treasures are hidden there."
Alger almost never strayed from the word "pirate." In such a mysterious gathering, one must learn to use one identity to conceal another. This was the caution he had developed from his long struggles at sea.
It seems Mr. Hanged Man is a pirate, and the potion formula he traded was precisely for a Sailor… Audrey nodded slightly, deep in thought.
Although she didn't know why Audrey suddenly asked about Bansy Harbor, feeling Mr. Fool's gaze, Aaron thought for a moment and said ponderously:
"Indeed, some secrets are hidden in Bansy Harbor. When the Aurora Order's Angel of Fate was searching for the Life School of Thought's Speaker, a conflict occurred with the Church of the Lord of Storms in Bansy Harbor."
"His confrontation with Pope Jad II of the Church of the Lord of Storms was the fundamental reason why that sea area became a forbidden zone. Heh, this is also a good thing; that level of fate reset can be considered a unique form of Sealed Artifact."
Pope… Alger, who still considered himself a member of the Church of the Lord of Storms, didn't even dare to mentally utter the subsequent name. That would be blasphemy against that individual.
Thinking that he had been active in that sea area half a year ago, Alger suddenly felt a sense of relief, and at the same time, couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
As expected of a secret gathering, he, a mere Sequence 7, could know information that only high-ranking Church officials would know.
Alger's eyes flickered, looking at Mr. Emperor with vigilance and fear.
Although Audrey was also somewhat surprised, as the daughter of a Count who frequently saw Archbishop Anthony, a Sequence 3, at grand masses, her focus was more on the Angel of Fate.
Seeing that Mr. Fool, shrouded in gray fog, did not deny Mr. Emperor's statement, Audrey, though wanting to ask more, felt that the value of two diary pages had already been used up and did not speak further.
Instead, the greatest shock was in Klein's heart, at the head of the bronze long table. Just over an hour ago, he had witnessed the giant silver snake and learned that Sequence 1 of the Fate Pathway was called the "Snake of Fate." Now, he heard news of an "Angel of Fate."
This coincidence made him slightly nervous. Although he was curious about the secrets of Bansy Harbor, it was clearly beyond his current capabilities. After calming his emotions, he merely noted the matter down for later.
Seeing Audrey no longer speaking, Aaron recalled Arrodes's previous words, looked at The Fool shrouded in gray fog, and respectfully said:
"I would like to exchange those two diary entries for another item imbued with your aura."
Again? Klein frowned slightly. To be honest, as The Fool, he himself didn't know what an item imbued with his aura could do.
After learning that Mr. Emperor's true identity was actually a Blessed of the Goddess, he even suspected that Mr. Emperor was deliberately collecting such items from time to time to secretly sacrifice them to the Evernight Goddess, thereby locking onto this mysterious space.
However, Mr. Emperor had just answered Miss Justice's question for him, not only without asking for more, but merely exchanging diary pages for an item. If he refused this, wouldn't it make the dignified The Fool seem timid?
Sighing inwardly, he conjured a gold coin from the pile of sundries, and in a seemingly nonchalant tone, calmly spoke:
"You may. However, I am quite curious, what do you use it for?"
Knowing that his frequent exchanges would definitely arouse Klein's suspicion, Aaron had already prepared an excuse, recalling the "Yesterday's Reappearance" charm from his memory.
A rectangular "diamond"-shaped charm instantly appeared before Aaron, vaguely revealing layers of complex symbols extending in all directions, with wisps of gray-white mist autonomously gathering.
Watching the "Yesterday's Reappearance" charm, materialized from his memory, still subtly drawing the gray-white mist, Aaron felt more confident and respectfully spouted nonsense:
"I can create charms with unique effects based on the aura you imbue, but correspondingly, each charm will consume the imbued aura, which is why I'm exchanging with you again."
Feeling the subtle connection between that charm and this gray fog space, Klein had already believed it eighty percent. If it could be made into a charm, then there was no need to worry.
It was a pity that as The Fool, it was inconvenient for him to speak, otherwise he really wanted to see the method for creating that charm. The power of a charm that even Mr. Emperor considered to have unique effects was unimaginable. Klein increasingly felt that he needed an alternate identity.
Seeing that the other members had completed their transactions, Alger did not intend to speak. Having already advanced to Sequence 7 Seafarer, what he most desired now was the Sequence 6 potion formula.
However, two pages of Roselle's diary were certainly not worth that price. But his recent mission was to go to sea to pursue the Aurora Order's Listener. He couldn't find any other diaries at sea. He would wait until the mission was over and he found enough of Roselle's diaries before proposing an exchange to Mr. Fool.
In the magnificent palace above the gray fog, silence suddenly dominated.
Seeing that the members were no longer speaking, and recalling the discordant fate he had divined earlier, Klein lightly tapped the armrest of his chair and said in a deep voice:
"You must remember that the secret of the Tarot Club's existence must not be leaked. For non-members of the gathering, without my permission, you are not to chant my name."
-----------------
The northern border of the Feynapotter Kingdom, the central plateau bordering Lenberg and the Intis Republic. This area is mostly plateau, with many mountains and forests, and numerous ruins and legends.
As the largest city in the north, Selanian, though far from the capital Feynapotter City, held military and Church power second only to Feynapotter City, in order to deter the Intis Republic and the southwestern Lenberg.
The two most magnificent buildings in the city were the "Church of Nature" and the Governor's Mansion, one symbolizing divine power, the other representing royal authority.
The Archbishop of the Church of Nature was Odoro Worth, a member of the Divine Council and a Sequence 3 Pallbearer. The Governor's Mansion had one Governor and one Deputy Governor.
A military Imperative Mage served as the Deputy Governor, while Odeson Castiya from the royal family, though only Sequence 5 himself, held a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact and, with the interference of the Castiya royal family, served as Governor.
The crimson faded, and The Fool's final words seemed to still echo in his ears. Aaron was not unfamiliar with similar styles of speech, but they were all recorded in "The Revelation of Night."
Putting away the gold coin, Aaron recalled the information Mobet had previously transmitted, surveyed the city of Selanian, surrounded by mountains and forests, and his figure quickly became shrouded in shadow.
Inside the Governor's Mansion in the east of the city, Odeson Castiya walked along a quiet corridor towards the main building of the Governor's Mansion. Along the way, occasional servants and maids passed by, but no one dared to look directly at him; they all retreated to the sides, bowing their heads in salute.
After entering the quiet study alone, the usually dignified Odeson Castiya suddenly crossed his legs and, very ungracefully, mumbled in the plateau language—the official language of the Feynapotter Kingdom, which, like its neighbor's Intis language, originated from ancient Feysac:
"Old man, the digestion of the potion from parasitizing a Sequence 5 is too slow. How about we try that demigod Deputy Governor after a while?"
An aged voice, with a hint of sternness, emerged from an unknown source:
"It seems you haven't been taking some of my words to heart. You'll suffer greatly for this in the future!"
"The reason I didn't help you advance to Parasite in the Fourth Epoch was because I saw that your temperament still needed tempering."
"On the Beyonder Pathway, the higher the Sequence, the more madness and loss of control tendencies accumulate. This is the essence of the characteristics; it can only be suppressed and resisted, not eliminated."
"If a Parasite constantly shifts hosts, it is also a huge drain on itself, and the accumulated madness will slowly erode your Spirit Body, leading to a backlash during a certain parasitism."
"Therefore, for a Parasite, choosing a host must consider these factors."
"Especially if you parasitize ordinary animals, it's fine for short-term behavior, but if it's prolonged, you will inevitably be affected by their body structure and hormones."
"Everything is reciprocal. A Parasite can influence the host, and the host, in turn, will influence them."
"For example, you have now parasitized many Worms of Time in the surrounding animals. If the time exceeds a certain limit, you will have to frequently talk to people to avoid confusing your former identity."
"If you don't do this, you will definitely be affected by the host, gradually losing the ability to speak, confusing your self-identity, not knowing who you are, and being overwhelmed step by step by the tendencies of madness and loss of control."
"Odeson Castiya" on the sofa was inexplicably startled, suddenly sitting up. He frowned in recollection and replied with uncertainty:
"But I didn't receive this kind of knowledge in the potion when I advanced to Parasite before…."
The aged voice fell silent for a moment, then tutted and chuckled:
"Originally, I was a bit unsure. It seems what that fellow did during the time I was hiding everywhere at the end of the Fourth Epoch really fits His personality."
Instantly understanding the old man's implied meaning, Mobet, who had fully parasitized Odeson Castiya, said with a dry voice:
"You mean, that Blasphemer tampered with or even concealed the knowledge that should have been obtained during advancement?"
Pallez Zoroast sighed, not continuing the topic, and then admonished:
"For us, the most suitable hosts are undoubtedly Beyonders of our own Pathway; all aspects will be very synchronized."
"Moreover, after cultivating them Sequence by Sequence, they can also become a supplement to our own Beyonder powers, a special medicine for our own state, and we can take possession of that body."
"The next best choice are Beyonders of the Seer and Apprentice Pathways. Absorbing their power will not put too much burden on the Parasite's state, allowing for relatively quick recovery."
"The worst case is Beyonders of other Pathways. Their own potions have conflicts, and this body of yours can only stop at Sequence 5 and cannot be cultivated further into a demigod."
"And do you think a demigod is so easy to parasitize? Even with my help, with your current Parasite state, where you haven't digested much, you will only suffer a backlash."
Mobet, parasitizing Odeson Castiya, chuckled awkwardly and tentatively asked:
"Old man, weren't you in Tingen? Why did you suddenly think of coming to find me? Although our relationship is deep, won't this attract that Blasphemer?"
With a snort, Pallez Zoroast's voice sounded again:
"I was originally planning to retire in Tingen, but alas, these young people nowadays."
Just as "Odeson Castiya" was somewhat dazed, a familiar laugh suddenly sounded behind him:
"Elder Pallez, long time no see! I said before that this is a mutually beneficial cooperation, and I believe that in a few years, you will certainly not regret this cooperation."
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