Lord of Mysteries: Taiyi

Alger glanced around, remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly spoke, answering the question in Zhou Mingrui's place:

"You're from Ruen, aren't you?"

As expected, the original plot unfolded as scheduled.

Alger offered Audrey several ways to become an Extraordinary: one was to join the Church of the Goddess of Night, the Church of the Lord of Storms, or the Church of the God of Steam and Machines.

Audrey refused, citing her desire not to lose her freedom.

The second option is to seek out royalty or join a secret organization.

Audrey subconsciously puffed out her cheeks, then, somewhat flustered, made sure no one had noticed before asking:

"Is there really no other way?"

Alger remained silent for a long time, first observing Mr. Fool at the head of the table, then looking at Kurt.

When Kurt saw Alger looking over, he remembered that he still hadn't found the main ingredient for his Sequence 8 potion, and weighed his options.

He spoke first in standard Rune:

"Miss, I have a few Sequence Nine recipes here."

Seeing that someone had spoken first, Alger remained silent, observing the mysterious man's attitude. The ghost shark blood he needed wasn't too rare at sea, so there was no need to rush.

"Really? Which ones do you have?"

Kurt considered whether to tell the story of the clockmaker and the storyteller, but after thinking it over, he abandoned the idea.

After all, they are not among the 22 pathways, making them prone to problems.

"It depends on what kind of extraordinary ability you want," Kurt said mysteriously.

Now that he has joined the Tarot Club in advance, he should demonstrate his value within the club so that obtaining potion materials will be much easier later on.

Everyone knows how many extraordinary materials are in Audrey's family treasury.

"Does this gentleman have many potion recipes?" Audrey thought excitedly, eager to hear them all, a feeling that reminded her of choosing her favorite dress.

But that would waste that mysterious gentleman's time. Restrain yourself, Audrey, be reserved.

"I want a potion that no one can tell will work, but will give me magical powers after I drink it. Like a potion that makes me smarter or... prettier."

Hearing Miss Justice's energetic voice, Kurt's lips curled up slightly. Afraid that Klein wouldn't be able to handle it, he replied in a rather hurried tone:

"Pharmacists are herbal experts with a strong folk tradition. They can concoct some strange and unusual medicines that can cure some common, incurable diseases."

Audrey looked interested when she heard the description, and her imagination began to run wild—the most beautiful and miraculous doctor in Backlund.

Of course, what Kurt said next made her give up the idea.

"Of course, that is, provided you don't mind becoming a vampire when you reach Sequence Seven."

Alger knew about the path to becoming a pharmacist; the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess controlled a portion of it. Having a pharmacist at sea would be very convenient, and he was slightly tempted.

Seeing that Zhou Mingrui, who was seated at the head of the table, showed no abnormalities, he also wanted to try to complete a transaction, so he spoke up:

"I want this formula, but what do I have to give in return? I also need at least 100ml of ghost shark blood."

When Audrey saw that the man opposite her had interrupted their conversation, she puffed out her cheeks and thought angrily: But given how many questions you answered for me just now, I've decided to forgive you.

Audrey wanted to hear more about vampires, but then she thought it was irrelevant to the current deal, and bringing up extra topics might annoy the other party.

"One Deep Dark Flower Whisperer or one complete pituitary gland of the Messenger." Kurt stated his needs without hiding anything. "Miss, the same goes for you."

Alger nodded, intending to wait for Kurt to finish his introduction.

"The audience, with their keen observation skills, can discern the true thoughts of the audience from their expressions, gestures, verbal tics, and unseen actions, just like watching a play or opera performance from their seats."

"But remember, no matter where you are, an audience member is always just an audience member."

Audrey's eyes lit up as she listened; her previous frustration at not being able to become a doctor vanished, and after a while, she said:

"That sounds great, I really like how the audience feels. Are there any other sequences?"

Kurt smiled:

"There is also the Sequence Nine 'Reader' mastered by the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, which can enhance memory and comprehension."

"A reader? I don't like reading... Anything else?" Audrey immediately rejected the option, as it might cause trouble; she worshipped the goddess of night.

"The lawyer excels at finding and exploiting loopholes in the rules and weaknesses in his opponents, while also possessing exceptional eloquence and persuasive abilities."

Aside from the audience, Kurt deliberately downplayed the descriptions of the other paths, or deliberately mentioned the subsequent sequences, and also omitted sequences that the young girl might be more interested in, such as the fortune teller and the apprentice.

Upon hearing this, Alger straightened up.

He just mentioned four Sequence 9 potions that are not good at combat. Based on his description, he should also have at least one other Sequence 9 potion recipe, and he even mentioned the names of potions that lead to Sequence 8 or even Sequence 7 potions. Is he an official Beyonder? Did he obtain these recipes through a long mission, or is he a member of some secret organization? Is it possible that he might have a Sailor pathway recipe?

Thinking of this, Alger couldn't help but breathe more heavily, but he quickly calmed down. He hadn't reached Sequence Seven yet, so he should observe for a while first and not reveal his identity too quickly.

Klein, still identified as "Zhou Mingrui," listened in stunned silence. He hadn't realized there were so many options to becoming an Extraordinary. Perhaps the key to his return home lay hidden within. He wanted to ask those Extraordinary individuals who had progressed through different paths about their expertise in rituals and other abilities. However, his current status clearly prevented him from speaking easily, so he suppressed his impulse and remained silent, maintaining his aloof demeanor.

Kurt indicated that he had finished speaking and was waiting for Miss Audrey's choice. If she chose the lawyer, he would explain that Sequence Eight was a "savage" to dissuade the girl from her idea.

"That sounds good too. Hmm... I still want the 'audience' formula. I should be able to get those materials, but how can I deliver them to you? And how can you be sure the formula is really effective? Of course, I can also try to find this gentleman's ghost shark blood."

"I'll leave you an address; you just need to store the materials discreetly there. As for the accuracy of the formula, this mysterious gentleman will be the witness. I can dictate the formula or send it to you," Kurt said smoothly, glancing at Zhou Mingrui, who was eavesdropping at the head of the table, and Alger, who was trying to guess Kurt's identity.

Alger nodded, turned to the head of the table, and said respectfully, "Your Excellency, you have brought us here with unimaginable power. We dare not disobey your testimony."

"Yes!" Audrey's eyes lit up, and she excitedly agreed.

In her opinion, neither the gentleman next to her nor the impolite guy across from her would dare to...

She suddenly realized that she didn't know the gentleman's title, which was impolite.

"Sir, how should we address you?"

Zhou Mingrui paused for a moment, then his fingers, which were resting on the bronze table, began to move slightly as he recalled the contents of the previous divination.

He leaned back, withdrew his right hand, interlaced his fingers and rested them on his chin, smiling as he looked at the three of them and said:

"You may call me...the Fool."

The brief answer quickly vanished into the gray fog, but it stirred ripples in the hearts of the three.

Audrey and Alger hadn't expected it, but they felt that this was exactly the kind of name it should be, perfectly embodying power and mystery.

Kurt felt a surge of emotion; two months ago, he never imagined he would witness this historic moment firsthand.

After a few seconds of silence, Audrey rose, her skirt billowing, and bowed to Zhou Mingrui.

"Respected Fool, please allow me to make this bold request: could you witness our transaction?"

"It's a small matter," Mr. Fool replied calmly.

You yourself can't be sure right now, you just believe we wouldn't dare lie... Kurt thought to himself with amusement, "blasphemy."

However, he still stood up with Alger and bowed in greeting.

"It is our honor, Mr. Fool."

"You may continue," the Fool nodded.

"If you two find the materials, you can send them to 36 Evalland Street in the West Side of Backlund and give them to the front desk clerk." Kurt directly revealed his real address.

First, he believed they probably wouldn't consider it their hideout; second, even if Audrey found out, it wouldn't matter, as he trusted Miss Justice's character.

Alger is still at sea, and may investigate this place later during the Zilingus incident. However, by then Alger will have already imagined the power of "The Fool" Klein, so he probably won't dare to do anything too presumptuous.

The members afterward will not know about this, because they can now make sacrifices. This will pave the way for his later rendezvous with Audrey, which will be very helpful for his subsequent plans.

Audrey was indeed taken aback. This gentleman was also in Backlund? He just let us know like that? He doesn't seem as mature as me... But that couldn't be his real address, could it? After all, he must be very mysterious to be able to produce so many formulas.

"I believe you won't go back on your word, since Mr. Fool is here, so I can tell you the potion recipe right now," Kurt continued in a normal tone, seemingly unafraid of being deceived.

Audrey thought for a moment, then smiled and said:

"I'll choose a more secretive approach, right here, even though it will test my memory."

Suddenly, Audrey seemed to remember something. She abruptly turned her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the "Fool," and suggested with great interest:

"Mr. Fool, would you mind trying this a few more times?"

Alger was also tempted and quickly agreed.

Just like in the original story, "The Fool" agreed.

"I am someone who likes equivalent exchange."

"I won't let you help me for nothing."

"Every Monday, at 3 PM, try to be alone. Once I've done this a few more times and figured things out, you'll probably be able to ask for leave earlier..."

Audrey was only 17 years old and had a strong girlish spirit. When she saw that Mr. Fool agreed, she couldn't help but clench her fists and gently wave them twice in front of her chest.

"We should give ourselves a title too, since we can't communicate using our real identities, right?" the girl suggested enthusiastically, looking around. She gave Kurt a special look, as if reminding him not to reveal his real information again.

Although I won't do anything bad to you, the man across from you might not be so... Audrey muttered to herself.

Audrey thought to herself that she definitely couldn't let the other two people know her true identity.

"Good idea," Mr. Fool replied briefly.

"You are Mr. Fool, from the Tarot, a regular secret gathering where titles must be as consistent as possible. Hmm, I'll choose from the Tarot cards too."

Her tone gradually became more cheerful:

"It's decided, my title will be 'Justice'!"

This is one of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards in the Tarot deck.

"And what about you two?" Audrey asked with a smile, looking at Kurt and Alger.

Alger frowned, then relaxed:

"The Hanged Man".

Kurt chuckled softly:

"Lover."

Still two trump cards.