Chapter Text
In the Loen Kingdom's capital, Backlund. Inside a luxurious looking villa at the royal district.
Audrey Hall sat in front of a dresser. The markings on it were antiquated and there was a cracked bronze
mirror on the surface.
"Mirror, mirror, awaken…
"In the name of the Hall family, I command you to awaken!"
…
She switched between many different sayings, but there was no reaction from the mirror at all.
After more than 10 minutes, she finally chose to give up and pouted her lips in grievance. She said in a
soft murmur, "Father was indeed lying to me. He always tells me that this mirror was the treasure of the
Solomon Empire's Black Emperor, and that it is an extraordinary item…"
Her voice trailed off. The bronze mirror which rested on the dresser suddenly glowed with a crimson light
that shrouded her completely.
…
In the Sonia Sea, a three-masted sailboat that looked like an obvious relic was navigating through a
storm.
Alger Wilson stood on deck, his body undulating with the currents at sea, maintaining his balance easily.
He wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns, and in his hand was a quirky-shaped glass bottle.
Bubbles billowed inside the bottle at times, frost turned into snow at times, and signs of gusting wind could
be seen at times.
"Still short on the Ghost Shark's blood…" Alger murmured.
Then at this moment, a crimson burst appeared in the space between the glass bottle and the surface of his
palm. In an instant, it enveloped the surroundings as well.
…
In the fog of gray mist, Audrey Hall regained her sight. She started reckoning the situation in a state of
horror and confusion when she noticed the blurry image of a man on the opposite side of her doing the same
as well.
Immediately after, the both of them discovered another mystery person standing not far from them who
was shrouded in a gray mist.
The 'mysterious person' was none other than Zhou Mingrui. He was similarly dumbfounded.
"Sir, where is this?"
Audrey and Alger were startled at first, falling silent in the process. Then, they immediately started
speaking in unison.
"What are you planning on doing?"
Chapter 6: Beyonder
Not only did they speak the same Loen language, they also shared the same grim and tense vibes.
Where am I? What do I plan to do here? I would like to know too… Calming himself down, Zhou
Mingrui silently repeated the questions posed by the two.
What left the deepest impression on him were neither the sentences formed by words nor the meanings
behind them, but the display of bewilderment, vigilance, panic, and reverence by the couple!
For some baffling reason, two people had been mysteriously dragged into this world surrounded by gray
fog. As the perpetrator, Zhou Mingrui was already feeling abnormally dumbfounded and startled, let alone
the couple who was pulled into this mess completely passively!
For them, such events and encounters might already be beyond their imaginations, right?
Momentarily, Zhou Mingrui thought of two options: The first option was feigning victimhood to hide his
true identity, and in turn gain a considerable amount of trust. He could then take a wait-and-see approach
and take advantage of his circumstances where necessary. The other option was to maintain his mysterious
identity in the eyes of the couple. He could then affect the subsequent development while gleaning valuable
information from them.
Without the luxury of time to deliberate over the situation, he grasped hold of the thought that flashed
across his mind. He made an immediate decision to try out the second idea.
Exploit the psychological state of the others to gain the greatest advantage for himself!
After a few seconds of silence in the fog, Zhou Mingrui chuckled. With a low but not heavy tone, he
calmly spoke as though he was replying to the polite greetings from the visitors, "An attempt."
An attempt… an attempt? Audrey Hall looked at the mysterious guy veiled in the grayish-white fog, and
the only thought was that whatever was happening was absurd, funny, horrifying, and weird.
She was at the dressing table inside her bedroom only moments ago. But just by turning around, she had
"come" to this place that was filled with gray fog!
How inconceivable!
Audrey took a breath, revealing an impeccable, courteous smile. She asked in a somewhat perturbed way,
"Sir, is the attempt over? Might you permit our return?"
Alger Wilson also had the intentions to probe Zhou Mingrui in a similar fashion, but his rich experience
made him statelier. He held back his impulse and only took on the role of a silent onlooker.
Zhou Mingrui looked at the questioner. Looking through the hazy mist, he could roughly see the
silhouette of the person in question. It was a tall girl with smooth blond hair, but her exact countenance
could not be seen clearly.
He did not rush to reply to the girl's question but turned around to look at the man. He had messy dark-
blue hair, as well as a medium stature that was not considered stout.
Zhou Mingrui suddenly realized something. Once he became stronger or had a deeper understanding of
the foggy world, perhaps it was possible for him to see through the fog and discern the girl and the man.
In this situation, they are the visitors, and I'm the master!
After changing his mindset, Zhou Mingrui instantly noticed details that he had neglected earlier on.
The girl with a melodious voice and the mature, withdrawn man both looked considerably incorporeal.
Tainted by a faint crimson red, they resembled a projected image of the two crimson red "stars" beyond the
gray fog.
This projection was based on the connection between the crimson red and himself, an intangible
connection that only he himself could realistically grasp hold of.
The projection would disappear once the connection is cut, and the couple would then return… Zhou
Mingrui nodded mildly and looked at the blond, chuckling. "Of course, if you make a formal request, you
can return this very moment."
When she did not identify any ill intention from his tone, Audrey heaved a sigh of relief. She believed
that since a gentleman who was capable of such miraculous things had given his word, he would definitely
abide by it stringently.
With her mind somewhat mollified, she surprisingly was in no hurry to request her leave. She rolled her
virid eyes left and right, which sparkled with an abnormal radiance.
She said in an anxious, anticipative and tempted manner, "This is such a wonderful experience… Yes, I
have always been hoping that something like this would happen. I mean—I like mysteries and supernatural
miracles. No, my point is—what I mean is that, Sir, what can I do to become a Beyonder?"
She got more excited as she spoke, so much so that she was fumbling over her words. The dream that
sprouted in her as a result of listening to thrilling fantasies as told by her elders finally saw the possibility of
being materialized.
However, with just a few words, she had already forgotten all her previous fears and horrors.
Good question! I would also like to know the answer… Zhou Mingrui complained inwardly.
He started to ponder on an answer to the question to maintain his unfathomable image.
At the same time, he felt that it was quite unbecoming of him to talk while standing. Shouldn't he be in a
palace, sitting at the head of a long table, and on a mysterious high-back chair engraved with ancient
patterns, while silently observing his visitors?
As soon as this thought surfaced, the gray fog started to churn, giving both Audrey and Alger a shock.
In an instant, they saw a number of towering stone pillars around them. Above them was a vast dome that
encapsulated them.
This entire edifice looked magnificent, grand and lofty, just like a legendary palace for giants.
Directly under the dome where the gray fog gathered, a long, bronze table appeared with ten high-back
chairs on either side in a symmetrical arrangement, along with a chair on each of the two ends of the long
table The back of each chair dazzled and shone faintly with crimson red, drawing the outlines of weird
constellations that differed from reality.
Audrey and Alger sat face-to-face, sitting next to the Seat of Honor.
The girl looked to her sides, and could not help but mumble, "How fascinating…"
It is certainly fascinating… Zhou Mingrui extended his right hand and caressed the edge of the bronze
table a little while maintaining an unperturbed expression.
Alger inspected the surroundings, and after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly opened his mouth, and
answered Audrey's question in place of Zhou Mingrui.
"Are you from Loen?
"If you want to become a Beyonder, join the Churches of either the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of
Storms, or the God of Steam and Machinery.
"The majority of us will not meet a Beyonder our entire lives. This has caused Churches, and even some
clergymen within some of the biggest Churches, to suspect the same. While this is the case, I am certain to
tell you that Beyonders still exist in courts, tribunals, and execution agencies. They are still fighting against
the dangers that grow in the dark, only that their numbers are much fewer as compared to before and during
the early days of the Iron Age."
Zhou Mingrui listened attentively, but he tried his best to present himself as paying little attention to
Alger's words, much like how he was listening to kids telling stories.
Relying on Klein's fragmented general knowledge of history, Zhou Mingrui knew clearly that the "Iron
Age" referred to the current epoch, which was the Fifth Epoch that began 1349 years ago.
Audrey silently listened to Alger finish his sentence before sighing.
"Mister, I know all about what you just said; I even know more than that, including the Nighthawks, the
Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind, but I don't want to lose my freedom."
Alger gave a low-sounding laugh, and said vaguely, "You can't become a Beyonder without sacrifices. If
you don't consider joining Churches and accepting their given challenges, you can only seek the royal
families and the few nobles with family histories of more than a thousand years. If not, you can rely on your
luck to search for clandestine evil organizations."
Audrey puffed her cheeks subconsciously and looked around in a fluster. After confirming that both the
"mysterious man" and Alger did not notice her tic, she pressed, "Are there no other solutions?"
Alger sank into silence. About half a minute later, he turned around to look at the "mysterious man" who
was watching the two of them in silence.
Realizing that Zhou Mingrui had no plans to make any comment, he looked back at Audrey and said with
deliberation, "I have two sets of Sequence 9 potion formulas."
Sequence 9? Zhou Mingrui muttered to himself.
"Really? Which two sets?" Audrey clearly knew what the Sequence 9 potion formulas meant.
Alger leaned back slightly, and replied unhurriedly, "As you know, humanity can only depend on potions
to become real Beyonders, while the names of potions come from the 'Blasphemy Slate.' After constant
translations into Jotun, Elvish, ancient and modern Hermes, and ancient Feysac, they have undergone
changes to match the day and age of that era. The essence is not in their names, but whether they portray the
'core characteristics' of the potions.
"I have a Sequence 9 Potion named 'Sailor.' It enables you to have excellent balancing capabilities. Even
if you were on a boat in a rainstorm, you will be able to walk about freely as though you were on land. You
will also gain immense strength and illusory scales under your skin. They will enable you to swim like a fish
and be difficult to catch. You will move agilely underwater just like marine animals. Even without any
equipment, you will be able to easily submerge underwater for at least ten minutes."
"Sounds great… the 'Keepers of the Seas' from the Lord of Storms?"
"It was called by that name in the past." Alger did not pause and continued. "The second Sequence 9
potion is called 'Spectator.' Although I am not sure what it was called in the past. This set of potions enables
you to have an exceptionally sharp mind with acute observational abilities. I believe you can understand
what 'spectator' means from watching operas and plays. Just like an audience, spectators judge the 'actors' in
the secular world, catching a glimpse of the real thoughts of them through their emotions, conduct, and
mantras."
At this point, Alger emphasized, "You must remember, regardless of whether you are at an extravagant
banquet or a crowded street, spectators can only be spectators forever."
Audrey's eyes shone as she listened, and spoke after a long while, "Why? Alright, this is a follow-up
question. I-I think I have fallen in love with this feeling—of being a 'Spectator.' How can I get this potion's
formula? What can I use to trade with you for it?"
Alger looked like he was already prepared as he said in a deep voice, "The blood of Ghost Sharks, at least
100 milliliters of it."
Audrey nodded her head excitedly, but subsequently asked worriedly, "If I can get it—and I'm saying
if—how do I hand it to you? How can you promise me that you can give the potion's formula to me in return
for the Ghost Shark's blood, as well as the authenticity of the formula?"
Alger said calmly, "I'll give you an address. I'll mail the formula to you, or tell you directly here, once I
receive the blood of the Ghost Shark."
"As for promises, I think that both you and I can feel assured under the witness of the mysterious sir."
As he said this, he swept his eyes towards Zhou Mingrui who was sitting up straight at the Seat of Honor.
"Sir, the fact that you brought us here shows that you have tremendous strength unimaginable to us.
Neither one of us would dare violate a promise with you as a witness."
"That's right!" Audrey's eyes sparkled and agreed with excitement.
From her perspective, the mysterious gentleman who had unimaginable abilities was definitely an
"authoritative" witness.
How could I or the guy opposite me dare trick him!
Audrey half-turned her body and looked at Zhou Mingrui earnestly.
"Sir, please be the witness of our trade."
At that moment, she then realized that she was all too impolite, having forgotten all along to ask a
particular question. She asked hurriedly, "Sir, how should we address you?"
Alger nodded slightly, and echoed the same question in a serious manner, "Sir, how should we address
you?"
Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He gently rapped his fingers on the bronze table. The contents of the
earlier divination flashed across his mind suddenly.
He leaned back, withdrew his right hand, and crossed his ten fingers, placing them below his chin. He
gave the duo a faint smile.
"You can address me as…"
Upon saying this, he paused for a moment. He said amiably and calmly, "The Fool."
Language of Giants.
Chapter 7: Code Names
"You can address me as The Fool."
The simple answer soon emanated through the grand hall and dissipated into the fog. However, the voice
kept resonating in Audrey's and Alger's hearts, stirring up one ripple after another.
They never expected such a designation, but they felt that he was deserving of it. The designation
perfectly embodied his image as someone mysterious, powerful, and bizarre!
After a few seconds of silence, Audrey stood up, held up her skirt slightly and bent her knees, curtseying
to Zhou Mingrui.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, would you please permit me to take the liberty of requesting you to be the witness
of our trade?"
"It's nothing." Zhou Mingrui's mind whirred as he answered in a way that matched his status.
"It's our honor, Mr. Fool." Alger stood up as well. He bent his back slightly with his right palm over his
chest.
Zhou Mingrui lowered his right palm and smiled.
"Continue, the both of you."
Alger nodded and sat back down before looking at Audrey.
"If you can obtain the Ghost Shark's blood, get someone to send it to the Warrior & Sea Bar at Pelican
Street, in the White Rose Borough of Pritz Harbor. Tell the boss, Williams, that it's what the 'Captain' wants.
"Once I acknowledge receipt, will you be giving me an address to mail the potion formula to or do you
want me to tell it to you here directly?"
Audrey thought for a moment before saying with a smile, "I will choose the more secure method. Let's do
it here, although it's a test of my memory."
Since Mr. Fool had agreed to bear witness for the trade, it also represented that there would be a similar
'gathering' the next time.
With this in mind, she suddenly turned her head as she looked at Zhou Mingrui with sparkling eyes. With
a tone of interest, she suggested, "Mr. Fool, would you mind making a few more 'attempts' like this?"
Alger listened to her suggestion calmly; he was tempted by the suggestion as well. He hurriedly echoed,
"Mr. Fool, don't you find such 'gatherings' interesting? Although your powers exceed our imaginations, there
has to be certain domains that you don't understand or excel in. The person across me is obviously a young
lady of lofty stature. I also have my unique set of experiences, insights, mediums, and resources. Perhaps
there will come a day when both of us can help you complete something trivial that might be inconvenient
for you."
From his point of view, the fact that he had been pulled into this space without any warning or any means
to resist meant that
the mysterious Mr. Fool was in control. Participating in the 'gatherings' was not
necessarily something he could refuse. Therefore, it was better to reap the benefits of this encounter as much
as he could to make up for his passive and disadvantaged state.
The trio at the long table had different backgrounds, resources, information channels, and comprehension
of the mystical domain. If they interacted and enjoyed some limited cooperation, they could produce
unpredictable and immeasurable effects!
The resource trade that had just been negotiated was one example. Another example would be if he
wished to kill someone. He could easily request the gathering's members who did not appear to be related to
him both on the surface and in reality for help. He could perfectly misdirect any investigators.
A young lady of lofty stature… Was my behavior and accent that obvious? Audrey stared blankly, mouth
slightly agape, but she soon jolted back to her senses and nodded her head without any hesitation.
"Mr. Fool, I think it's a very good suggestion. As long as this gathering becomes regular, you can totally
leave certain things that are inconvenient for you to us. Of course, it has to be something within our
capacities."
From the moment he heard the suggestion, Zhou Mingrui was already weighing the pros and cons. More
gatherings definitely allowed him to gain more knowledge of the secrets of the Beyonders or other
mysteries, a boon for his transmigration back. For example, it was likely that the potion formula would
appear at the next gathering because of the 'spectators.' Similarly, the information he gained was bound to be
helpful for his present life.
However, more gatherings meant it was easier to expose himself!
Indeed, regardless of the world, there is no such thing as a free lunch… Zhou Mingrui extended his right
hand again as he rapped the side of the long table with his finger gently.
Considering the fact that he was in control of the gathering's summoning and dismissal, any threat of
exposure was within the confines of his control. The pros clearly exceeded the cons, so Zhou Mingrui
rapidly made a decision.
He stopped his rapping as he smiled at the anticipative and perturbed gazes of the duo.
"I'm a person who likes a fair and equal exchange.
"Your help will not go unrewarded.
"Every Monday at three in the afternoon, try your best to be alone. After I make a few more attempts and
figure out certain things, perhaps you can apply for a leave of absence ahead of time. You will no longer
need to worry about being in inappropriate situations."
This was a form of agreement to Alger's and Audrey's suggestions.
Audrey had just turned seventeen. Having been taken care of her entire life, she had the character of a
young girl. Therefore, she could not help but clench her fist and gradually pump it in front of her chest when
she heard The Fool's reply.
Without waiting for Alger to say a word, Audrey said in excitement, her eyes glowing, "Then, shall we
give ourselves code names? After all, we can't use our real names for conversation."
Although I might not be able to deceive Mr. Fool regarding my true identity, the person opposite me
poses some danger. I must not let him know who I am!
"Good idea," answered Zhou Mingrui in a simple and relaxed manner.
Audrey's mind immediately began whirring as she aired her thoughts as they came to her.
"You are Mr. Fool which is derived from tarot cards. Then, as a fixed, long-term, and secretive
'gathering,' we should be uniform in our designations. Yes, I'll also choose one from the tarot cards."
Her tone slowly turned joyous.
"I've decided. My designation shall be 'Justice!'"
It was one of the twenty-two Major Arcana tarot cards.
"What about you, Mister?" Audrey cheekily smiled at her 'partner' sitting across her.
Alger frowned slightly before relaxing it immediately.
"The Hanged Man."
It was another Major Arcana card.
"Alright, then we can be considered as the founding members of the Tarot Club!" Audrey was the first to
blurt it out happily, only to look fearfully at the fog-concealed Zhou Mingrui. "Will that be alright, Mr.
Fool?"
Zhou Mingrui shook his head in amusement.
"You can decide on such trivial matters by yourselves."
"Thank you!" Audrey was clearly thrilled.
Following that, she looked at Alger.
"Mr. Hanged Man, can you repeat the address again once more? I'm afraid that my memories will fail
me."
"No problem." Alger was very pleased with Audrey's seriousness as he repeated the address once more.
After repeating it to herself silently thrice, Audrey said again in excitement, "I heard that tarot cards were
invented by Emperor Roselle as a game. In fact, doesn't it come equipped with the power to divine the
future?"
"No. Most of the time, divination stems from one's self. Everyone has something spiritual about
themselves, allowing them to attune to the spiritual world and connect to information about themselves at an
even higher level. However, ordinary folks are unable to notice this, much less be able to interpret the 'signs'
they receive. This information will present itself with the help of divination tools. Let me raise a simple
example, dreams and dream interpreters." Alger took a glance at Zhou Mingrui and seeing no response from
him, he refuted Audrey's claim. "Tarot cards are, in fact, such a tool. It uses more symbolism and more
logical elements to help us in conveniently and accurately interpreting the signs."
Although Zhou Mingrui appeared indifferent, he was actually listening very carefully. It was only at this
point that his empty mind slowly became heavy as his head began to feel a throbbing pain.
"Got it." Audrey nodded in agreement. Following that, she emphasized, "That's not what I meant. I'm not
doubting the tarot cards, but I heard that Emperor Roselle had actually created another set of cards, secret
and mysterious ones. They were paper cards which symbolized a particular unknown power. There were a
total of twenty-two cards that he completed. Later on in life, he referenced them to create the twenty-two
Major Arcana tarot cards which are used as a gaming tool. Was what I said correct?"
She looked at Zhou Mingrui as though she was attempting to get an answer from the mysterious Mr.
Fool.
All Zhou Mingrui did was smile without saying a word. He cast his gaze at The Hanged Man as though
he was putting him to the test.
Alger subconsciously straightened his back and said in a deep voice, "That's right. It is said that Emperor
Roselle had seen the Blasphemy Slate and that set of paper cards contain the profound mysteries of the
twenty-two paths of the divine."
"Twenty-two paths of the divine…" repeated Audrey with a longing tone.
At that moment, Zhou Mingrui's headache intensified. He felt that his invisible connection with the
crimson stars and grayish-white fog was beginning to falter.
"Alright, that will be all for today's gathering," he said in a deep voice after making the decision
immediately.
"By your will." Alger bowed his head respectfully.
"By your will." Audrey mimicked The Hanged Man.
She still had many questions and thoughts; thus, she was unwilling to have it end so soon.