Mystery: Survival from the Secret Doll

Chapter 332, Section 331: New Members

Those Silver City members who were corrupted by the "destiny" all died in a terrifying and bizarre way during the subsequent exploration missions.

During their exploration, they constantly encountered various influences involving divinity and supernatural creations. Even within the Silver City, they would always encounter unexpected accidents and disappear in unimaginable ways.

Outside the city, among the dead in the exploration team, some had humanoid monsters with fingers growing from their bodies; others had their bodies cracked open, bones protruding, the proliferating bone filling every crack, sparing no part of their eyes, ears, nose, or mouth; some laughed as they pulled monocles from the mists of history, placing them in the ever-appearing eye sockets on their faces. On the back of the monocles, merging with flesh and blood, amidst the churning of flesh, eyeballs filled with madness and hatred proliferated and surged forth...

Their deaths were gruesome, as if they had been parasitized by monsters that crawled out of the deepest nightmares in various ways. Even after their deaths, neither the six-member council of Silver City nor Gal Bly dared to bring their corpses back to Silver City for a proper burial.

Those members who disappeared within Silver City and were "contaminated" are like the unfortunate ones of this world; apart from Gal Bryn, no one remembers them anymore.

"This is truly a fascinating experiment. What will happen when humans and monsters are grafted together? Will the humans devour the monsters with extraordinary abilities that have been transformed due to loss of control and pollution, or will the monsters assimilate humans who possess emotions and memories..."

"What will be the result of grafting two beings that are completely equal in 'quality' of extraordinary characteristics, humans and monsters? What will happen when extraordinary characteristics are discarded and madness is inherent in the pollution?"

"...Don't look at me like that. As a mysterious servant, isn't it normal to develop your own extraordinary abilities?"

It's just an experimental subject that comes at the cost of human lives, what's so surprising about that?
This madman...

That damned lunatic who plays with other people's lives.

The more Gal Bly watched what Don did, the more he felt that Don might kill him one day.

Even if he were instantly killed by the system, or even if the spirit worms within him devoured him in the blink of an eye the moment he had the thought and put it into practice, it would be the same.

Or rather, compared to Adam, this self-proclaimed moderate madman's methods were in some ways even more insane and unacceptable.

"What, this isn't what you expected?" Tang shrugged. "I didn't lie to you. This was indeed what we agreed on at the beginning, wasn't it?"

The Silver City has been lifted out of the Forsaken Land, and everything is proceeding according to the predetermined "destiny."

However, in this process, some people have "accidentally" been infected by the pollution of "future" and "destiny," and their "angel of salvation," Mr. Fool, has not yet descended.

“Compared to Adam,” he said, silent and deliberate, “you’re more like that damned bastard who deserves to be struck by lightning.”

“If that’s how you think, there’s nothing I can do.” Tang’s smile remained unchanged. “You can try to end all of this, as long as you can find a way to bring them out without them being contaminated by ‘destiny’.”

"Or rather, kill me?"

Can we kill him?
Possessing at least four resurrection opportunities, able to continuously refresh their status through the power of the "Supreme Being," able to freely enter and exit higher and lower dimensions, and possessing the world's largest group of mysterious puppets...

Is it really possible to kill such a monster?
Even if it's Sequence 0, even if it's a true god...

The flashback ended there. Gal Bly walked down the street, hanging far behind Derrick Berg, who seemed to have left his body. He watched as the latter entered a house made of Sunwell ore, a house that could dispel darkness and bring light. He watched as the latter trembled and knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant and lifeless, as if he were already dead…

He saw a figure wearing a black silk top hat and a matching tailcoat appear at Derrick Berg’s home.

This "mistaken" man, meticulously carrying out the instructions of his puppet master, was now fiddling with a crystal ball that he had somehow acquired, emitting a faint deep red hue. He aimed it at Derrick Berg, who was kneeling on the ground, gradually emerging from the silence of death and beginning to sob like a cub that had lost its parents.

Mr. "Error" was adjusting the crystal ball, seemingly noticing the gaze of someone watching from a distance. After adjusting the crystal ball in his hand that was connected to the Source Castle, he very politely adjusted his black silk hat, smiled slightly at Gal Bly in the distance, and then his figure gradually disappeared.

He left behind that ancient crystal ball, which emitted a faint, deep red glow, tinged with a hint of darkness and a hazy, grayish-white mist.

Gal Bly watched all this in silence, and then, just as resolutely, he turned and left.

"Great God, please turn your gaze back to this place you have abandoned..."

"Great God, please free us, the people of darkness, from that curse of fate..."

"I am willing to dedicate my life to you, to give you everything... to you..."

Above the Source Castle.

A deep red star began to twinkle.

A worm of time, drawing upon the reflections of stars on the water's surface, its body composed of twelve segments, also emitted a hazy glow.

A crimson light surged forth from the depths of the spirit realm like a tide, breaking through the seal of the Eastern Continent and sweeping over two people in different locations in Silver City, who were equally silent.

Within the mysterious space above the gray fog.

"The Fool" Klein looked at the figure that had appeared before him.

Mr. "Mistake" straightened his black silk hat, a smile on his face, and gazed at the people who had appeared here because of the surge of crimson stars.

Derrick Berg stared blankly at the layered, god-like "Fool" shrouded in gray fog.

Mr. Fool spoke slowly and casually.

Gal Bry looked at the gray mist around him, at the magnificent palace above it, and at the countless Time Worms and Spirit Worms constantly burrowing in and out of the gray mist, deceiving and fooling this gray mist that symbolized the pinnacle power of the mysterious three paths. Finally, he looked at Mr. "Mistake" sitting at the head of the bronze table.

Nicolas Flamel.

At the same time, he looked at the very bottom of the bronze table.

There, there was Don Eggers, holding a drawing board, seemingly drawing something.

"Ah, you're here."

Tang lifted his eyelids, glanced at Gal Bly who had appeared there, casually placed the painting in his hand on the bronze table, then smiled and nodded, greeting this former chief of Silver City who had been there countless times before.

"In this way, our Tarot Club has gained another new member."

After saying that, Tang smiled.

The man at the head of the table, Mr. "Mistake," gave a smile exactly like Tang's.

Gar Bleben felt a chill run down his spine. His lips twitched, as if he wanted to say something, but then, uncontrollably, the corners of his mouth curled up into a mischievous smile, exactly like Don's, like Mr. "Mistake".

"That's right." Tang clapped his hands with a smile. On both sides of the bronze table, maggots, some made of Time Worms and others of Spirit Worms, kept appearing and taking over all 22 seats on both sides of the bronze table.

One tarot card after another emerged from the mirror-like surface of the water. In the tarot card represented by Gal Bhair, the goddess of victory bent over, stroking a lion trembling with fear before her.

"Now, let's welcome our newest member, Mr. 'Strength'."

One by one, the humanoid figures became twisted and bizarre, but only two of them retained the appearance of a real human.

One is "The Hanged Man" Alger Wilson, and the other is "Justice" Audrey Hall.

They smiled, and transparent, semi-transparent insects crawled out from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, each insect displaying an eerie smile.

"Ah, what a harmonious scene."

Tang sighed.

He felt that Tarot was truly thriving.

It is truly a cause for celebration that new members have joined the Tarot clubs hosted by both leaders.

-

Rewind half an hour.

Since obtaining his Level 3 Ritualist qualification certificate, Klein has received a weekly stipend of five gold pounds.

Those who pass the professional ritual magic level exam receive a subsidy of five gold pounds per week for a "3" level ritual master and 15 gold pounds per week for a "2" level ritual master. In other words, a "3" level ritual master can earn 260 gold pounds per year, while a "2" level ritual master can earn 780 gold pounds per year.

This amount is not much, not even enough to buy a single main ingredient or recipe for a mid-tier potion; it's just icing on the cake.

But most importantly for the ritual masters who have obtained the certificates, they have acquired the ability to use the truly powerful ritual magic recorded by Miskatonic University, and have obtained the legitimate qualifications to use ritual magic.

And a pass to the Miskatonic Library, which allows for reimbursement of the cost of materials used in ritual magic within a certain scope...

Compared to the subsidies, what lies behind this certificate is something far more important and valuable.

"and……"

Klein silently sensed his own power.

He is now a Sequence 8 "Clown".

During the Level 3 Ritual Magic exam, Klein had fully digested the "Diviner's" potion. After finishing the exam, he promptly informed his captain of this.

"You've already digested the Sequence 9 potion."

Dunn Smith glanced at Klein, then took a form from his drawer, handed it to Klein with a faint smile, and said:

"I remember you should have joined the fortune tellers' club in Tingen, right?"

"Yes, Captain."

Klein already understood what Dunn Smith was going to say.

“Alright,” Dunn Smith nodded. “Although, Klein, your Antigonus family notes, your contributions in handling the subsequent events, and the ritualist certificate you obtained this time are enough for you to exchange for the corresponding Sequence 8 potion recipe and the corresponding main and auxiliary materials within the church.”

"However, after you have digested the corresponding Diviner's Potion and obtained the Level 3 Ritual Magic Certificate, I think the Diviner's Club will also show some appreciation, after all, they are always generous to their members."

The fortune tellers' club's growth and expansion in Tingen is clearly closely linked to Miskatonic University.

Based on Klein's experience visiting the fortune teller's club several times, it's quite normal for them to seek benefits for their members—so normal that even Klein, a seasoned veteran, felt treated like a "human being."

Therefore, after recalling that he had already obtained the "Clown" potion recipe from the Diviners' Club and received a promise to provide some of the main ingredients for the potion, Klein thoughtfully said:

"After I pass the ritual magic level exam, will the Diviner's Club provide the remaining main ingredients, as well as the corresponding auxiliary ingredients, to help me concoct the potion?"

“Yes.” Dunn nodded, then tapped the document on the table with his finger.

“I have now submitted the relevant application to the diocese that the Church of the Night has established in Backlund. With your contributions, you have two options.”

Dunn Smith said, "The first option gives you Sequence 7 of the Diviner's Path, a potion recipe called 'The Magician,' and some of the auxiliary materials."

"You can obtain the main materials for the 'Magician' and other auxiliary materials within the church through gold pounds or contributions."

"What about the second one?"

Klein was somewhat tempted by the first option, but he decided to listen to the second one.

"The second option is that the church has some sealed artifacts that are suitable for us to use and can be utilized within reasonable limits."

"Just like those behind Charness's gate?"

Although the door was originally said to be called the Door of Aben, Klein, knowing it wasn't a nice name, chose a more common one.

“Yes.” Dunn nodded. “However, compared to the more dangerous seals sealed behind the Charnis Gate, the seals provided by the Church are more suitable for low-sequence Beyonders to use. The sealing method is also simpler and more direct, and the negative effects are not as strong.”

"The ownership of these sealed items still belongs to the church. However, after the application is approved, you can hold the sealed items provided by the church. However, if the sealed item given to you is damaged or lost, you will need to bear the corresponding responsibility and compensation."

In other words, it is a sealed object that only grants the right to use, but not ownership.

Klein thought for a moment and asked, "May I take a look at those sealed artifacts first?"

“Of course,” Dunn readily agreed.

(End of this chapter)