Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 118: Lord of Mysteries? Or the Age of the Deep Sea?

December 22th, another Monday.

Before her stood towering stone pillars supporting a high dome, while a weathered and ancient table seemed to have been placed there for hundreds or even thousands of years... Although Audrey Hall had seen this scene many times, whenever she came above the gray fog, a deep sense of awe would still slowly resonate within her.

She glanced around but didn't see any new members. She then looked up and bowed to the convener, who was shrouded in thick gray fog:

Good afternoon, Mr. Fool.

As she spoke, she suddenly noticed a playing card with an intricate and ornate design on the back, lying on the table to Mr. Fool's right. It sat there quietly, casually, like an ordinary object.

"The Blasphemy Card!"

Audrey immediately understood, glancing around to see that everyone else's attention was more or less drawn to the card. This was to be expected, after all, this was the first time something else had appeared at the Tarot Club… well, not counting the magical items Mr. Lover had brought out.

Audrey smiled and said, "Mr. Fool, I've memorized two more pages of Russell's diary."

"Mr. Fool, I also have two pages of Russell's diary!"

Fors immediately raised his hand.

"Me too."

Hugh also raised his hand.

Alger chose to remain silent, as he had recently had no access to Russell's diary.

"very good."

Mr. Fool's lips curled up slightly as he watched the three ladies materialize his diary with considerable satisfaction.

however.

Once he got his hands on the six pages of the diary, Mr. Fool's smile gradually froze.

The reason was simple: he had read most of these diaries at the Russell memorial exhibition. Undoubtedly, these two women also memorized these diaries from the Russell memorial exhibition. Moreover, given the current situation, the more diaries collected, the greater the possibility of duplication.

Especially with most of the Tarot Club members in Backlund, the chances of them collecting Roselle's Diary being duplicated are even greater, which would make it even less likely for him to obtain new information from it.

There was nothing that could be done about it. Klein sighed inwardly, glancing at the last two entries in his diary—

That was submitted by Miss "Trial," and it was the only diary that wasn't duplicated, meaning that the source of this diary should not have been the Russell Memorial Exhibition.

"April 12th, big news! I've discovered that the world I'm in might very well be the 'Deep Sea Age' after the fire was extinguished in Dark Souls 3!"

Klein felt a chill run down his spine, and his expression immediately turned serious.

"Do you know who I ran into? I fucking ran into Patch! That bastard, I'll never forget him! But obviously, he doesn't recognize me. Well, that makes sense, since I'm neither an 'Undead' nor an 'Ember'."

It was clear that the Emperor was quite shocked, as he had actually used a rhetorical question in his diary. Klein's thoughts wandered silently, but he quickly regained his composure and continued reading.

"Haha, this BYD actually tried to trick me. Do you think I'd fall for the same trick twice? Hehehehe, that dog Patch tried to trick me again. Just watch how I trick him back! Hmm, by the way, the word 'jie' is a bit uncommon, but luckily I'm knowledgeable enough not to misspell it."

"May 1st, that son of a bitch Patch, kicked my ass and ran, and he was really fast! Damn it, you better not get caught! If I catch you, you'll be sorry!"

Klein's lips twitched slightly. "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, didn't you say you wouldn't fall for it a second time? Is it that you're not vigilant enough, or that Patch is too cunning?"

"Leaving aside such trivial matters, although we still haven't found any legends about Lords of Cinder or the Undead, Patch's existence confirms my suspicions: this world is very likely the 'Deep Sea Age' after the flames were extinguished!"

"Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that the entire Lordran traveled to this world. Hmm, Lordran might even be the legendary Western Continent. However, it's also possible that the 'Painted World' carried the original inhabitants of Dark Souls 3 to this world (or era)."

"I've found out that there are five painted worlds in total. The Church of Knowledge, the Church of Storms, the Church of the Sun, the Church of the Earth Mother Goddess, and the Aurora Society (which is a cult) each have one, and it's said that only core members of these churches can enter them."

"I mentioned to Elena the possibility of joining the Church of Knowledge, and she actually told me very seriously that the Church of Knowledge doesn't forbid people from other sects from entering the world of painting, but only those with sufficient wisdom can enter! Haha, am I not wise enough? They actually rejected my request!"

Klein barely suppressed the urge to cover his face. "Your Majesty, aren't you being a little too embarrassing?"

However, the Church of Knowledge is indeed outrageous; I'd heard they discriminate against the "mentally challenged." But even those who follow the generalist path, and whose ranks are likely not low, like emperors, are probably rejected. Their standards are probably exceptionally high.

Klein thought for a moment, then continued reading.

"Tsk, it's a pity the Steam Church is just a newly established church; it's not qualified to possess a painted world. No way, the day I become a high-sequence powerhouse, I'll definitely steal two painted worlds!"

The diary ends here, but Klein has already obtained enough intelligence.

"You did it."

Klein thought to himself.

According to Ember, this world consists of six painted worlds.

However, according to the Emperor, there were only five paintings.

Without a doubt, the Emperor overlooked one thing, and that overlooked painting world was in the hands of the Church of the Night.

The remaining five paintings depict the world, one each from the Aurora Society, the Church of Mother Earth, and the Church of Knowledge.

In the era of the Great Emperor, the remaining two belonged to the Church of the Blazing Sun and the Church of the Storm.

But more than a century later, the ownership of these two painted worlds has shifted to the Steam Church and the Dawn of Elements. Considering the Emperor's diary, it's highly likely that he, in his later years as a High Sequence Beyonder, seized these two painted worlds.

However, even if the Emperor eventually became a high-ranking deity, isn't it a bit too outrageous to snatch things from the gods? Or is it that the Emperor actually has the support of other gods behind him?

The God of Steam and Machinery of the Steam Church is one, but one is probably not enough; there must be other gods assisting. For example, the "organization" that the Emperor once mentioned in his diary.

That organization possesses a second blasphemous tablet, and even the Emperor dared not mention its name in his diary. It's perfectly normal for them to have a god behind them, and it's not enough to surprise Klein too much.

If the two gods joined forces, then it would be reasonable for them to successfully seize the world of paintings. One painting was given to the Steam Church, and the other to the Dawn of Elements.

Could Dawn of Elements be "that organization"?

No, it shouldn't be.

The fact that even the Emperor dared not reveal the name of that organization means it is extremely well-hidden, and most people don't even know its name. While the Dawn of Elements is low-profile, it is an organization that has only emerged in the last hundred years.

However, even if Dawn of Elements is not "that organization", it is still inextricably linked to the Emperor.

Mr. Fool controlled his expression and smiled, "You can talk freely now."

"Mr. Fool!"

Before anyone else could speak, Klein immediately controlled the 'World' to say, "I request to speak with Mr. 'Lover' alone."

Klein seamlessly switched gears and nodded slightly, saying:

"Can."

As he nodded, he quickly blocked out the senses of the other members.

"Mr. Lover."

"The World" said in that hoarse voice, "I have been entrusted to tell you something."

Yu Jin glanced at him, nodded slightly, and said, "Go on."

"Will Unsettin..."

"World" paused for two seconds, seemingly gathering its thoughts, before slowly speaking, "I guess he should be a Sequence 1 angel, a Sequence 1 'Serpent of Fate' from the Monster Path, or you could also call him the 'Mercury Serpent'."

The World relayed his conversation with Will Unsetin in his dream to Ember in detail, and added at the end:

"He asked me to tell you that he has no ill intentions towards you and hopes you can let him go."

"In other words..."

Ember seemed thoughtful, then asked, "Is he currently inside Dr. Allen's wife's belly?"

"Yes."

"The World" nodded, but after thinking for a moment, added, "That's what he said, but we can't rule out the possibility that he has other plans."

Klein didn't entirely believe Will Unsettin's words because he was just too honest!

He was so honest that he even said he needed to reboot and that he would be reborn in Dr. Allen's wife's womb after rebooting. Isn't that the same as using up all his flash and ultimate abilities?

If Ember doesn't intend to let him go, then he might not even have a chance to run away!

Therefore, Klein suspected that the other party must have other tricks up their sleeve, and Dr. Allen was not their only option. After all, the other party was an old man who had lived for countless years, and Klein was not naive enough to believe that Will Onsett was really as "naive" as he appeared.

"I see."

Yu Jin nodded slightly, but made no promises.

Klein was not surprised by this, nor did he intend to continue defending "Will Onsett".

The private conversation ended there, but Ember then looked up at the 'Fool' in the head seat and asked:

"Mr. Fool, I would like to know if that card is a blasphemous card?"

Upon hearing this, Klein was overjoyed. Finally, they've arrived!

The moment Miss Justice offered him the bookmark, he revealed to her that it was a blasphemous card. However, Klein had assumed that Ember would soon pray to him and inquire about the details of this blasphemous card.

But Ember was far more composed than he had imagined, not offering a single prayer. If he didn't ask a question at this tarot reading, he might seriously doubt whether Ember truly had no interest in the blasphemous cards!

Thankfully, he finally asked a question!

Klein controlled his emotions and smiled, "Yes."

Upon receiving an affirmative reply from 'The Fool,' Ember asked without hesitation, "I want to know which divine path that blasphemous card contains?"

"That's a Black Emperor card."

"The corresponding sequence number 9 is lawyer."

Ember's expression shifted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "I want all the contents of this blasphemous card, no matter the cost!"

If this blasphemous card were from any other sequence, he wouldn't be very interested in it. But the fact that it's a Black Emperor card makes it impossible for him to be interested.

Klein thought to himself, "As expected," and then smiled and nodded, saying, "Okay."

As he spoke, Klein waved his hand, materializing the information recorded on the blasphemous tablet in front of Ember.

"Sequence 0, the Black Emperor."

"Sequence 1, the Prince of Killing."

"The ascension ceremony: to possess one's own kingdom, to link one's name with the title of emperor, and to make it common knowledge among the people. At the same time, it is also necessary to establish a strict and complex set of rules that defy normalcy, including architectural styles."

"Then, they drove the people to secretly build nine pyramid-like mausoleums. Then, they entered one of them and, in a series of rituals scattered throughout different cities, consumed a Sequence 0 potion."

As Yu Jin looked at the description of the promotion ceremony, his brain worked at lightning speed, organizing and categorizing the information he had gathered.

First, based on the fact that his own name is associated with the title of emperor, the "Black Emperor" most likely refers to King George III of the Kingdom of Rune.

The royal family's purpose in trafficking large numbers of slaves was quite clear: to send them to "Site 1" to build a "mausoleum" for George III, in preparation for his "deification." There should be a total of nine such sites throughout the country.

Besides, since it is a "relic", it could not have been built recently. It is likely that someone once attempted to become the Black Emperor, but ultimately failed for various reasons, leaving behind nine mausoleums prepared for the ritual of becoming a god.

The Kingdom of Rune unearthed these ruins, and they didn't need to build the mausoleums from scratch; they only needed to use slaves to improve upon the existing ones.

Once the Black Emperor successfully ascends to the throne, he will not truly die until all nine secret mausoleums are destroyed. Even if he perishes, he can awaken and return from one of the mausoleums.

Even if the god is successfully murdered and all nine tombs are destroyed, as long as a certain amount of the order established by that god remains, he could still be mysteriously resurrected.

It must be said that the so-called "gods" of this world do have some merit. However, if that's the case, wouldn't he have to wait until George III truly becomes the "Black Emperor" before taking action?

Yu Jin frowned, feeling that his skills had become somewhat rusty from not having linked fire in so long.

If the Black Emperor hasn't been fattened up yet and can't be attacked, are there any other gods that are suitable to attack?

As Yu Jin pondered this, he subconsciously looked up at Klein, who was in the first seat.

"Um??!"

Klein felt a chill run down his spine under Ember's gaze, his heart tightening. "He's not still thinking of burning me, is he? I'm giving you information for free, without even charging you a price! You don't really want to burn me, do you? No way, no way?!"

Ember stared at Mr. Fool for a long while before slowly saying, "I'm fine now, Mr. Fool. I apologize for taking up your time."

He hadn't yet considered burning Mr. Fool, since he was still useful. The same went for the Goddess of Night; as long as she still had some value, she could be put aside for later, since the world wasn't short of firewood anyway.

However, it seems that Edwina once invited him to Remnburg, the headquarters of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.

"call!"

Seeing that Ember's attitude was relatively calm, 'The Fool' breathed a sigh of relief, but still maintained a smile on his face:

"It's alright."

"As a reward for the intelligence you provided."

Ember pondered for a moment, then flipped his hand, revealing several rings in his palm. "I don't know what you need, but perhaps you can choose some as payment. Of course, if you're not satisfied with this, I can also do a few things for you as requested."

Klein's gaze swept over the rings, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably. But in the end, his reason and strong willpower allowed him to overcome this slight temptation.

The Fool's voice remained calm as ever, without the slightest ripple: "No need. This is your due reward for obtaining this 'bookmark'."

Ember shook his head and said, "This is not enough to pay the reward."

"Tsk..."

Mr. Fool clicked his tongue, somewhat speechless. "Why are you so stubborn? I already said I don't want any payment, so why insist on paying me? What, you're saying that the principle of equivalent exchange was personally stipulated by Mr. Fool?"

"Oh, then it's alright... Yeah, right!"

Klein felt a headache coming on, because he felt he had a vague idea of ​​the answer. But it was precisely because he had guessed the answer that he insisted on not accepting any payment!

Klein took a deep breath, maintaining his calm demeanor, and slowly said, "Since you insist, then for now, consider it that you owe me a favor."

"A favor?"

Faced with the Fool's response, Ember fell silent, seemingly hesitating whether or not to owe him a favor.

Ember looked up again and asked, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

"Do you need it?"

Mr. Fool asked in return with a smile.

Klein was panicking, but he knew he couldn't panic.

His confidence stemmed from the fact that he was now a "god," albeit an empty shell, but Ember didn't know that! What could a "god" possibly require Ember to do?

Yes, there are. But is that something I can say?

Klein composed himself, abandoning his usual condescending tone and adopting a humorous one, half-jokingly laughing:

"If you really want to do something for me, then please do me a favor and stop thinking about burning me again, okay?"

Klein spoke these words in Chinese, and his purpose was self-evident. As he finished speaking, his gaze was fixed intently on Ember.

However, Ember did not respond immediately to Klein's teasing, but remained silent.

"I knew it."

Klein's expression twitched slightly, having anticipated Ember's reaction.

He had already noticed something amiss when he realized that Ember had never prayed to him. And when Ember insisted on paying the 'price,' it made Klein even more vigilant.

The reason Yu Jin acted this way was so as not to owe him, or rather, not to owe "The Fool" a favor. As long as he didn't owe anyone a favor, he naturally had no qualms about taking action.

Ever since he, the "Fool," was placed on the Embers' "List of Lords of Cinder," he has never been removed from it.

But there was one thing Klein just couldn't understand—

That's why the "Ember" is so obsessed with linking the flame.

He's a time traveler, so what does passing on the flame have to do with him?

Is this reasonable?

This doesn't make sense!

Why was he so determined to pass on the torch?

Or is it really him who wants to pass on the torch?

(End of this chapter)