Phew. Another one fooled— no, another member recruited.
Klein chuckled and shook his head, mocking himself as he reflected on the current strength of the Tarot Club.
If not for the simulated universe, the "Fool," who served as the leader, was actually only Sequence 9, having just finished digesting the Diviner potion. Even with relics and Light Cones counted in, he might not be able to defeat a proper Sequence 6.
Meanwhile, the "Sun"'s hopeless-sounding Silver City possessed at least three Sequence 4 powerhouses.
Klein didn't linger above the gray fog for long. Extending his spirituality, he wrapped it around himself and plunged downward.
Passing through the mist, crossing the whispers, he returned to his room and dissolved the Wall of Spirit.
After hesitating for a moment, Klein took out his phone and sent Sairuis a message.
Sweet Iced Tea Who Makes Big Money:
"Sairuis, do you know about the Land Forsaken by the Gods?"
Though he typed using the Loen script keyboard, his fingers moved rapidly.
After sending the question, Klein slipped his phone back into his pocket, grabbed his keys, and prepared to head out while thinking about his next promotion.
One more step of preparation — then he could report the situation to the Captain and apply for a special request.
He wondered if his relics and Light Cones would change once he became a Clown.If not, then they might soon be obsolete.
Klein didn't want to replace them. Truly side-effect-free mystical items were exceedingly rare.
Buzz—
His phone vibrated.
"So fast?" Klein raised his brows and pulled it out.
Melancholic Sexy Pig Prince:
"The Land Abandoned by the Gods? I know a little. It's somewhere a bit northeast of the Sonia Sea, bordering the Western Continent. Why?"
Western Continent? Klein's eyebrows lifted, but he decided to ignore that part for now.
Sweet Iced Tea Who Makes Big Money:
"Just curious."
"Do you have any detailed intel about it?"
He was the prophesied future savior personally acknowledged by the original Sairuis — the Chosen One! Asking for intel was only natural.
Melancholic Sexy Pig Prince:
"The Land Abandoned by the Gods, huh? That place is a total mess."
"It's full of corruption, monsters, and lightning. There's no day, only endless night. The creatures inside must stay in illuminated areas — or they'll be Hidden."
That matched perfectly with Derrick's earlier description. Klein nodded slightly to himself.
Melancholic Sexy Pig Prince:
"Not sure how many people are still alive there. But it's said that's the sanctuary of the True Creator, with at least three angels wandering within. If there are still inhabitants, they probably worship the Ancient Sun God — the so-called Lord who created all things, the Omniscient and Almighty."
Klein was now certain: Derrick was indeed in the Land Abandoned by the Gods.
What impressed him more was the masked Fool's incredible data-gathering ability — and the fact that there were three angels there!
Even the Church of the Night didn't have that information. As a low-level Nighthawk, Klein could never have accessed it.
Sweet Iced Tea Who Makes Big Money:
"Got it. Thanks."
Melancholic Sexy Pig Prince:
"You're welcome."
"PambyHeart.jpg"
Pocketing his phone, Klein opened the door and left.
At the moment, he and his teammates were handling a case involving an evil spirit. Captain Dunn and the corpse collector Frye were waiting at the inn.
Returning there, Klein unsurprisingly found Dunn and Frye exchanging the information they had gathered.
"It's confirmed — the wraith only started appearing in the past two or three months." Dunn glanced at the newly arrived Klein and gave his conclusion.
Klein immediately echoed the captain's words and submitted his mission results, gaining some reputation with the Nighthawks.
He also temporarily received the key tool for the next task — a "Mutated Sun Emblem."
Frye removed the dark-gold badge from the inside of his black trench coat and handed it to Klein.
Klein accepted it curiously. The metal felt warm to the touch, as though hot water flowed within it. The gentle radiance rippled outward, bringing a sense of pure holiness.
"Glowing metal… wait, is this radioactive?" Klein's thoughts veered off inexplicably.
He soon felt the dark-gold emblem, engraved with a solar sigil, washing over his spirituality, cleansing it of impurities and leaving only the purest essence.
It was as though something in his genes had been activated.A reckless urge rose within him — he suddenly really wanted to do something stupid.
Hmm… I'll divine this Sun Emblem later, he thought.
For now, his assignment was to stay put.
"If anyone approaches, drive them away," Frye instructed coldly.
"I'll come relieve you in two hours."
Frye had just planted an enormous flag.
But he gravely underestimated the Tarot Club's sacred dual nature: reckless yet cowardly.
"No problem," Klein replied with a pleasant smile, upholding the motto — If there's no danger, create some yourself.
After watching Frye disappear into the town, Klein found a medium-sized stone nearby. He wiped its surface clean with a few leaves, touched the top with his finger, and examined the mark under the crimson moonlight.
Satisfied, he lifted the hem of his black trench coat and sat down gracefully.
Our dear Mr. Klein was, after all, a refined gentleman — one must not lose composure.Besides, this outfit was expensive.
A few minutes passed in silence. He stared at the dark, eerie forest.
The longer he sat, the more restless he became.
He had just performed a brief divination — no danger was predicted for the next while.
But that wouldn't do!
If there was no danger, then Frye's flag would've been wasted!
Klein's death-seeking spirit ignited brightly. He couldn't help but stand up and rummage through the hidden pockets of his coat, pulling out small metal bottles.
He sprinkled herbal powder and essential oils around the rock, forming a circle.
Then, chanting in Hermes, he unleashed his spirituality through the materials and sealed the area.
…And then, of course, he started fiddling with the Sun Emblem again, trying to stare it into revealing its secrets.
Because, well — cats are like that. When they get bored, they look for new ways to die.
He first attempted a divination, but being far too weak, he got nothing.
So naturally, he decided to take a stroll in the gray fog.
Heh. If you don't kill me today, we're not done here.
He manifested the Sun Emblem within the gray fog and began divining its origin again.
Thus, in high spirits, Klein transformed into the very embodiment of "Testing Death Itself."
With the aid of the gray fog, his vision deepened — little by little, he learned more about the emblem.
He saw that it originated from a drop of golden blood.
And that drop of golden blood… came from—
A golden naked man.
The man suddenly turned around, revealing a deeply philosophical smile.
"Whatcha lookin' at, huh?"
BOOM!
Klein's spiritual body ignited instantly atop the gray fog.
"Gah!! That's strong!!"
The mysterious space of the gray fog trembled violently.
The grand palace collapsed inch by inch; the ancient bronze table cracked and shattered into fragments.
"Aaaah!!!" Klein rolled and screamed amidst golden flames like Michael Jackson on fire.
The terrifying phenomenon lasted only three seconds before everything went silent again. The gray fog's domain returned to its calm, timeless stillness — as though nothing had ever happened.
Klein's golden flames died out. Charred and smoking, he rolled on the ground, screaming until his thoughts began to function again.
Half-roasted, Klein clutched the armrest of the high-back chair, staggered to his feet, and collapsed back into the seat, trembling.
Both terrified and utterly dazed by what had just occurred.
I've learned my lesson. Please, just let me live…
(End of Chapter)