Mystery: When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

Chapter 277 Gray Fog
East Chestershire, at the Hall family estate.

Audrey sat in front of her dressing table and lit a candle.

There was a mirror behind the candle.

Then, through the flickering firelight, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her emerald eyes gradually deepened, captivating all who looked away, as if even the soul wanted to sink into them.

"Audrey, stay awake in your dreams tonight," she said to herself in a soft voice.

This is a simple "psychological suggestion".

She wants to explore the ocean of the collective unconscious once more tonight.

Although there's a simulated universe tonight, the family will be leaving the village tomorrow for their next vacation destination.

Therefore, Audrey decided to explore the ocean of the collective unconscious one last time today.

She then lay down on the bed and quickly entered a dream state using meditation techniques.

When she opened her eyes again, she noticed that she was walking on a gloomy and narrow road, surrounded by a dark forest, with a castle with towering spires in front of her.

Having entered the simulated universe almost every week, she was very familiar with this scene transition and adapted very well without any panic.

The drawn-out howls of wolves, slow and terrifying panting, and intermittent screams of agony came from all directions, creating a dangerous and oppressive atmosphere.

Audrey effortlessly transformed into a magical girl and walked towards the end of the road, heading towards the castle that was almost identical to the ancestral home of the Hall family.

As she walked, she murmured the name of Mr. Fool.

After reading it, she read the names of Mr. Devil and Miss Emperor in turn, which calmed her slightly nervous mood.

But just as she finished reciting the emperor's daughter's name, her dream suddenly became turbulent.

One by one, trash cans with limbs popped out from the surrounding scene.

Some of them wore knight's armor, while others wore priest's robes.

Against the backdrop of this ancient castle, they look like a team of heroes about to slay a dragon.

They surrounded Audrey, making her appear as if she were a princess being protected by the hero's party.

…………

Simulate the universe.

This was Fowles' first time entering the simulated universe.

Last week, Tuesday was the deadline for submitting her manuscript. She was supposed to enter the simulated universe, but she missed it because she was rushing to finish her manuscript overnight.

When I opened my eyes, I saw a gray-black river.

Fowles stood on the edge of a step by the river, looking down at the water plants swaying in the tide.

She looked around blankly, but all she saw was a desolate plain, with nothing but sand on the ground. In contrast, the river was full of aquatic plants.

"This is... oh, right. This is a simulated universe." It seemed like her brain finally came to its senses.

She hadn't attended last week and had completely forgotten about it.

She woke up suddenly in the middle of her sleep and found herself here, which gave her quite a fright.

Only after realizing his predicament did Fors finally breathe a sigh of relief.

She looked down at the river once again.

The aquatic plants, though clearly planted in the soil, looked withered and dry. It was difficult to tell whether they were fresh, new leaves or the dead souls of plants.

The water level was low, and the river appeared very shallow. Fowles guessed that if he were standing on the water, it would probably only reach halfway up his calves.

Just then, footsteps were heard.

The stiff footsteps made a rustling sound on the sand.

Fowles looked in the direction of the sound and saw an old man with a hunched back.

The old man walked from the other side of the river, waded through the water to stand in front of her, tilted his head to look at Fowles, and spoke after a long while.

“Little girl, could you give me a few gold coins? I’ll pay you anything as long as you let me board the ferry of Senatos.” He grabbed Fowles’s arm, and the biting cold made her hair stand on end.

Fowles tried to pull her arm away, but the old man was surprisingly strong, and she couldn't budge him at all.

“I’m sorry, I don’t have any gold coins on me,” Fowles tried to reason with.

“No, you do!” the old man retorted immediately. His tone was firm, as if he were absolutely certain that Fowles did indeed have money.

“But I really didn’t.” Fowles reached out his other hand and tried to pry the old man’s hand open.

She never had the habit of carrying money with her when she slept.

But the old man's hand, which was nothing but skin and bones, remained completely still.

"Think about it," the old man emphasized. "Imagine taking out a gold coin."

Fowles thought of the quarter penny he had received yesterday, but it was only a copper coin, not a gold coin.

"Imagine... okay, I'll try to imagine it."

Fowles closed his eyes and began to imagine.

Under the old man's expectant gaze, Fowles flipped his hand, which hadn't been caught, and pulled out a Rune coin.

"Thank you, little girl! I'll be blessing you from the other side." The old man snatched the coin and began to sink. Gradually, he disappeared into the river, which was barely knee-deep.

He smiled at Fowles, then looked longingly at the mortal world that had not yet been submerged by the River Styx, before disappearing into the depths of the turbulent current.

Where he once lingered, treasures gleaming with vibrant colors slept peacefully.

This is what he left for Fowles, probably as a reward.

Fowles blinked, unsure whether to go and get it.

…………

Klein also entered the simulated universe.

This time, when he opened his eyes, the scene before him was very familiar.

However, this is not Pinocchio.

Instead, it was a hazy, grayish-white mist.

He knew this place all too well, even better than Pinocchio, who came here for almost every simulation of the universe.

All around were towering stone pillars, and above them was an endless gray mist shrouded by a wide dome.

Magnificent, grand, and majestic, it is like the legendary palace of giants.

Directly below the dome, amidst the gray fog, stood a long bronze table, with ten high-backed chairs on either side, and similar seats placed in front and back. The backs of the chairs shone brightly, then darkened with deep crimson, outlining strange constellations that did not correspond to reality.

A long table above the gray fog, a dome like the dwelling of giants.

as well as.

A tall figure shrouded in gray fog.

He rested his hands on the armrests of the high-backed chair, his head bowed, as if he were asleep.

A mirror was placed on the long table in front of Him.

The gray mist swirled and submitted around Him.

Klein sat in the "Mr. World" seat, staring wide-eyed at the figure shrouded in gray mist before him, speechless for a moment.

This...this is...

The mirror suddenly lit up, and Klein instinctively looked over, seeing words as red as blood.

“Great master, I sense the presence of two of you.”

Klein's eyes widened even more. But before Klein could speak, the figure in the gray mist suddenly moved.

He slowly raised his head, opened his eyes, and opened his mouth.

His tone was majestic and heavy, echoing in the seemingly timeless palace.

Klein recognized his own voice.

His tone sounded somewhat doubtful.

"Tianzun?"

(End of this chapter)