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The Blue Avenger was like a leaf on the surface of the undulating waves of the Sonia Sea . At times, it was raised high and sometimes low from the ebbing of the waves, but there was no sign of it being at risk of capsizing .
Alger Wilson stood in the captain cabin, his back to the shelves of red and white wine, as he subconsciously paced around .
Finally, he gritted his teeth and returned to the mahogany desk with a grim expression . He removed the brass sextant, found a piece of paper and a pen, and leaned over to draw the complex, mysterious symbol given to him by The Fool .
With a Seafarer's memory, Alger quickly completed the first step of the sacrificial ritual .
Then, he opened the drawer and took out a candle . He set up the ritual according to the dualism principles and placed a candle above the symbol that was formed by the combination of the Pupil-less Eye and the partial contorted lines . One candle was placed in the middle that represented the person making the sacrifice .
After cleaning up all the items on the table, Alger condensed pure water in the palm of his hand and wiped the altar clean . He then used the silver dagger from the ceremony to create a sealing wall that surrounded his desk .
After doing all this, he used his spirituality to light up the two candles and retreated a few steps under the dim light .
Taking a deep breath, Alger lowered his head and recited in ancient Hermes,
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era,
"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;
"You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck .
"Your devoted servant prays for your attention,
"I pray for you to take his offerings .
"I pray for you to open the gates to your Kingdom . "
…
This ancient incantation reverberated within the wall of spirituality, stirring up spiraling gales as they swept forth with the force of nature .
It was the oldest sacrificial language created by human Beyonders, and it contained many mysteries itself . However, it lacked sufficient protection for the user .
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Bearing with the pain that was akin to having knives slicing across his skin, Alger took out a small dark brown glass bottle from his pocket, unscrewed the lid, and poured out a lot of sesame-shaped granules .
These granules swirled with a metallic luster and exuded an indescribable sense of beauty .
Alger scattered these granules into the wind .
Whoosh!
The gale grew stronger but was no longer tempestuous . It was dyed in two separate colors—silver and black .
As they continued to collide and mix, the two differently-colored winds were infused into the candle flame that symbolized The Fool, burgeoning and tearing open an illusory ordinary-sized door . Its surface was carved with the same symbol that Alger had drawn .
At this moment, Klein witnessed the appearance of the hazy door behind his high-back chair . He could feel the spirituality in the air that was rippling apart and stimulating the mysterious space .
It seems to be working… Klein suddenly had a premonition and immediately spread out his spirituality, infusing it with upheavals and stimulation .
Creak!
Amidst the insubstantial sounds, the blurry door slowly opened!
In the captain cabin, Alger suddenly saw the illusory door, formed out of wind and light, open . Behind it was deep darkness formed from an innumerable number of almost invisible shadows . They were lustrous splendors encompassing massive amounts of knowledge . Situated above them was the thick gray fog with the ancient palace overlooking the real world .
Such a scene caused Alger to involuntarily tremble . It was a deep fear, an indescribable excitement .
He hurriedly picked up the Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland that he had long prepared . He held it with both hands, and, with his head bowed, he raised the palm-sized object which was constantly changing in color and had a soft feel to the ridges to the illusory door .
Alger's hands grew lighter under the sudden appearance and instant disappearance of a suction force . He lost the slight tingling sensation that the Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland gave him .
He didn't dare raise his head until he heard the deep voice of The Fool echoing in his ears .
"You did well . "
"It's my honor," Alger answered without any hesitation .
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He looked ahead again, only to see that the illusory door had disappeared . The gale had stopped, and the candle flames had returned to their original state .
After the candles were extinguished according to the normal procedures, Alger sat down with a complicated expression and said to himself silently, In the beginning, only people could be pulled into the world above the gray fog… After a while, responses could be made by listening to prayers… Now, sacrifices and bestowment can be performed… Mr . Fool is freeing himself from his predicament one step at a time, and bit by bit, will he enter the real world?
This guess or conclusion frightened and worried Alger, but he also felt a bit of delight .
At least I'm a member of the Tarot Club—one of the earliest members… He sighed .
…
In the majestic palace above the gray fog, Klein was playing with the pituitary gland of the Rainbow Salamander . Various colors were reflected on his face as they constantly changed colors .
A slight tingling sensation came from his palm, and a strong sense of accomplishment filled his heart, causing him to reveal a genuine smile .
In the future, the Tarot Club will become even more miraculous… After reflecting over the situation, Klein extended his spirituality and sent his will to the crimson star representing Miss Justice .
After returning to her bedroom, Audrey was no longer able to sit quietly on the edge of the bed . She would restlessly flip through the books by her bed and from time to time, scrutinize herself in the mirror with an unfocused gaze .
She was looking forward to the completion of The Hanged Man's sacrificial ritual, but she was also afraid that the result would be a failure .
Emperor Roselle had said that one must remain calm and collected when important matters arise… Audrey, come on, take a deep breath… Or perhaps, I should go tease the dog? However, Susie can talk and think, so she's an entity with her own dignity . I can't just casually tease her… Audrey's mind wandered, her hand unconsciously wringing an ornate doll dressed in splendid clothing .
After an unknown period of time, a thick gray fog suddenly appeared before her eyes, and in the depths of the fog, there was a lofty chair .
Sitting there, The Fool said with a smile, "Miss Justice, the attempt was successful . Have you prepared the materials that contain spirituality?"
That's great! As expected of Mr Fool! Audrey forgot The Hanged Man's role in this matter . She held back her excitement and said, "Yes, I always have such materials with me . "
Audrey had been the same even before she joined the Tarot Club, but back then, she didn't know which materials could be considered to contain spirituality . She had merely moved them from the family treasury in accordance with the various essential oil formulas she had gathered .
Klein nodded slightly and said, "When do you plan on holding the ritual?
"This is based on the premise that there are no Beyonders around you . "
Does a Beyonder dog count… Audrey looked at the tightly-shut door, feeling a small tug at her conscience .
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"I can do it now . "
Klein tersely acknowledged .
"The ritual's process is the same as I described previously . All you need to do is change the prayer to—
"Your devoted servant prays for your attention,
"I pray for you to open the gates to your Kingdom .
"I pray for you to give me strength .
"In addition to this, use the dualism method . "
Audrey thought it over, fighting the urge to nod, and she began preparing for the ritual .
When the illusory door opened, and a scene even more illusory than the starry sky appeared, Audrey felt intoxicated in both body and mind .
This is the mysterious world I've always been pursuing . This is the kind of feeling I've always wanted! She praised Mr . Fool wholeheartedly .
It's faith towards the Goddess, but for The Fool, it's worship . Audrey silently explained herself in her mind .
Soon after, she was stunned to see that there was something on the "altar . " It was a soft object with lustrous color and was filled with ridges .
"The Rainbow Salamander's pituitary gland!" Audrey felt a surge of joy in her heart . Her eyes lit up as she had the urge to step forward and grab it .
However, her customs of etiquette took hold of her as she sincerely praised Mr . Fool once again .
After finishing the ritual, she impatiently walked forward and carefully examined the Beyonder material five times .
Our Tarot Club is at a higher level than all the other secret organizations… Audrey secretly felt smug .
She then glanced warily at the door, as if afraid of Susie's sudden intrusion .
She had to redouble her efforts and immediately concoct the potion to complete her advancement!
A few minutes later, she held a bottle of liquid that contained constantly changing lusters that could shine to the bottom of everyone's hearts .
She confidently drank the Telepathist potion and successfully tide through the integration stage with the Beyonder characteristics, achieving an advancement .
The view before her seemed to clear up significantly, with a great increase in other aspects . Audrey familiarly used Cogitation to restrain the dissipating spirituality .
After her Sequence stabilized, she smiled and walked briskly to the door, letting in the golden retriever . She saw the obvious suspicion on Susie's face .
"You took far longer than usual . " Susie didn't hide her thoughts .
Audrey sat down on an ottoman and dryly laughed before changing the subject .
"Susie, tell me—how should I secretly inform Xio and Fors about a particular matter without revealing myself; yet get them interested?"
Before she finished her sentence, Audrey had begun to seriously ponder over the mission Mr . Fool had assigned her .
Then, she looked at Susie, and Susie looked back at her . The human and dog both fell into deep thought at the same moment .
…
After completing his goal, Klein returned to reality, slept for a little more than an hour before hurrying out the door . He spent a pound to buy a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, wigs, and a variety of mustaches that could be torn off and stuck on with adhesives . They were disguises he would need later .
Before dinner, he made a trip to East Borough, the most crowded area and the most unsafe part of the city . He rented a one-bedroom house at the rent of four soli, three pence a week . He paid two weeks rent and a deposit, coming up to a total of 17 solis .
Only then did Klein complete all his early preparations . East Borough also left a deep impression on him . Most of the streets here were the same as Tingen's Lower Street, but the area that shared the traits was many times larger .
The clothes of the residents here were old but decent . Many of them were dressed in shabby clothes with sallow skin and thin frames . It was as though they would turn into beasts at any moment due to their hunger or poverty . Therefore, gangs ran rampant in East Borough .
When he got back to Cherwood Borough, Klein felt as if he had entered heaven from hell .
For the next two days, he experimented with using his spirituality to perform the rituals and create charms . He no longer prayed to the Goddess and waited for the effects of his tiny advertisements to bear fruit .
On Thursday morning, Klein finally heard the doorbell ring .