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

Chapter 144 The Fool's Kind Little Hedgehog

"Ember, what do you think?"

Audrey pursed her lips, her expression hesitant. Although it had been preliminarily deduced that the Psychological Alchemy Society might be involved in the assassination of Duke Negan, it had also brought to light another, more secretive and higher-ranking organization, the Twilight Hermits! This forced Audrey to consider whether to abandon the investigation.

Ember remained perfectly calm, shaking his head as he said:

"Don't overthink it. We'll have to deal with the Psychological Alchemy Society sooner or later anyway, so it makes no difference."

"..."

Audrey hesitated, but upon reflection, it seemed to make sense. After all, Ember had already decided to take action against the Psycho-Alchemy Society. Would he abandon his predetermined goal for the sake of the Twilight Hermits? That was clearly unrealistic. Perhaps Ember would even act against the Psycho-Alchemy Society prematurely, fearing that things might go wrong if he waited too long.

Klein silently nodded to himself. Fear? Worry? Not at all. Ember was probably hoping the Twilight Hermit would come knocking, so he could burn a few more people.

Ember suddenly asked:

"Mr. Fool, what price must I pay if I want to know what kind of organization the Twilight Hermits are?"

"If you say that, I won't be sleepy anymore."

Fearing that Ember might ask some tricky questions, Klein immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He tapped the edge of the bronze table with his finger, not in a hurry to make Ember pay, but slowly said:

"The Twilight Hermits have preserved and passed down secrets from thousands of years ago. They believe that twilight is inevitable and the end times are unavoidable. They believe in the original Creator, who has not truly died. When twilight arrives, when the end of everything comes, He will awaken from His slumber, return everything to Himself, and create a new world, a new history."

"Then why did they want to assassinate Duke Negan?"

Audrey had already composed herself, but she still asked, somewhat puzzled, after hearing this.

Klein leaned back in his chair and said leisurely:

"All the actions of the Twilight Hermits are based on the above ideas and principles, in order to resurrect, or rather, awaken the true Creator."

"They frequently interfere with the course of history, manipulating the world's trends to suit their own needs, thereby achieving their goals at a certain juncture. If the tides of time do not turn as they expect, they will try their best to reverse the trend. Otherwise, they simply observe quietly and indifferently, perhaps without taking any action or making any commission for decades or centuries."

"Interfering with the course of history...manipulating world events..."

Audrey listened to Mr. Fool's nonchalant words, a storm raging within her, filling her with a chilling fear. If this organization was truly as Mr. Fool claimed, then were all the things she had read about in history books—wars, diseases, and the discovery of the Southern Continent—the work of this organization?

If that's really the case, wouldn't it be even more terrifying than the Church of the Seven Gods? No, the Church of the Seven Gods certainly has the ability to do the same thing; the "War of Betrayal" that split the Kingdom of Feneport hundreds of years ago is a good example.

Audrey fell into thought:

"If the Twilight Hermits' repeated assassination attempts on Duke Negan were also for this reason, it means that Duke Negan has blocked the Twilight Hermits' desired momentum, and this momentum..."

Audrey's expression changed slightly, as if she had thought of something, and she almost blurted out:

"George III? The Black Emperor?"

Klein's expression shifted slightly. According to the intelligence they currently possessed, George III was certainly preparing the ceremony for his ascension to the Black Emperor. And his becoming a god must not be in the interests of the three major churches, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to keep it from them.

However, to oppose the three major churches, George III needed corresponding support, and it had to be the support of a force powerful enough to rival them. While the Aurora Society and the Witch Church were involved, they were clearly not qualified. For example, this doesn't explain where George III's potion recipe for advancement came from.

However, if the Twilight Hermits are secretly supporting the Black Emperor, the situation becomes quite clear—George III's potion recipe and ascension ritual were both provided by the Twilight Hermits, who, possessing the second Profane Tablet, have the capability to do so. The assassination of Duke Negan is because he blocked their desired 'great momentum'.

Perhaps it's because Duke Negan discovered the King's secret... No, that can't be it. Duke Negan is a devout follower of the Church of Storms; if he had truly discovered George III's secret, he would have reported it directly to the Church of Storms. So it must be for some other reason—perhaps, perhaps Duke Negan's presence is hindering the historical developments the Twilight Hermits desire?

Klein subtly glanced at Ember, noticing that he was also deep in thought. Clearly, Ember could think of everything Klein could think of, and might even guess more details, since he likely possessed information Klein was unaware of.

"Resurrect the Creator?"

Just as Klein had guessed, Ember was indeed deep in thought, and he did know more than Klein. For example, he had met that 'Sun God' in the past. And he could be fairly certain that this Sun God was the 'Creator' in the Silver City mythology. Regardless of whether this 'Sun God' was the true 'Creator,' it was almost certain that the Creator the Twilight Hermit would resurrect was this 'Sun God.'

As for how the 'Sun God' died, Ember already had the answer; the murals he discovered on that primitive island recorded everything. The one bearing the radiant cross was undoubtedly the ancient Sun God, who died in an attack and whose body was devoured after his death.

There are four figures depicted devouring the ancient sun god—one handsome and vigorous, one majestic and imposing, and one with a white beard who appears very wise. In addition, there is a sinister, dark-skinned infant.

As for the identities of these four people...

After a moment's thought, Ember slowly spoke:

"Mr. Fool, thank you for your help. I hope to pay for this information with a magical item."

Klein maintained the 'Fool's' demeanor, smiling and nodding. But inwardly, he sighed helplessly. Ember truly didn't want to owe anyone a single favor! His intention was to ask for no reward, but rather to make Ember owe him as many favors as possible. But Ember clearly disregarded this suggestion, even preferring to suffer a loss rather than settle the matter.

Seeing that the Fool nodded in agreement to the deal, Ember spoke directly:

"I have two magical items that I can use to pay for this: one is Riviel's Desperate Cry, and the other is the Cross of No Darkness."

As he spoke, Ember conjured two items on the table: a pistol and a verdigris cross. This sight almost made Mr. Fool want to facepalm—promise me, next time you'll use sacrifice properly, okay?

"Riverd's Desperate Scream can fire an unlimited number of bullets, each shot possessing immense power. It can fire continuously and rapidly, like a miniature machine gun. Targets hit will also experience Riverd's desperate scream before death, exhibiting different states such as pain, dizziness, and confusion; it even has some effect on saints. The negative effect is that the user will also hear that desperate scream, just less frequently."

"The Cross Without Darkness can transform into a Radiant Cross after absorbing blood, possessing powerful purifying effects and the ability to use demigod-level solar domain spells such as 'Sunfire.' Its side effect is that, due to its powerful and pure purification, the Cross Without Darkness repels contact with other magical items or extraordinary properties."

"Therefore, it cannot coexist with other magical items, and it will also repel the extraordinary characteristics of the holder. Long-term possession will cause the user's extraordinary characteristics to gradually dissipate. For example, if the user is a Sequence 5 extraordinary, once the wear time exceeds one hour, his Sequence 5 extraordinary characteristics will be dissipated by the Dark Cross, thus causing the holder to regress to the Sequence 6 level."

After a pause, Ember added:

"Since both of these magical items originated from the Rune royal family, there is a hidden side effect. That is, they must be used with caution when facing extraordinary individuals from the Rune royal family, otherwise, once discovered, they may be hunted down by the royal family."

Hearing this, even Audrey was at a loss for words, and Klein was speechless, internally thinking:

"You're just trying to fleece one sheep, aren't you? If you keep going like this, you'll skin the entire royal family dry."

Klein silently mourned for the royal family for a minute, but then he remembered that Ember's goal was to kill George III, and suddenly felt that this little setback was nothing to the royal family, at most just an appetizer before the main course.

As for the two items that Ember had taken out, Klein was indeed quite tempted. The advantages and disadvantages of these two magical items were obvious. Rivel's desperate scream had powerful combat capabilities, but Klein couldn't guarantee that he could withstand that desperate roar. After all, even demigods couldn't withstand it, and Klein didn't think he could be any more special than a demigod.

As for the Cross of No Darkness, it possesses extraordinary abilities at the demigod level in the Solar Realm, so its combat power is undoubtedly formidable. But for Klein, he saw through the item's true purpose at a glance—to make money!

Since the Dark Cross can extract extraordinary attributes, it means he can essentially earn twice the money with one investment! For example, a Sequence 5 extraordinary attribute usually costs around £8000. But by using the Dark Cross, he can extract a Sequence 5 extraordinary attribute and obtain a Sequence 6 extraordinary attribute, and so on, until only a Sequence 9 extraordinary attribute remains!

In this way, he would gain a total of 5 extraordinary traits, with a total value of over 15000 pounds. That's almost double the value in one transaction, a return of nearly 100%! This was undoubtedly extremely attractive to Klein, who still owed Miss Audrey a debt in order to advance to the Faceless Man.

Klein made a decision immediately, trying to remain calm on the surface, and smiled:

"make a deal……"

Before he could finish speaking, Klein saw Ember push the two items towards him, causing his expression to freeze. He had intended to say, "I choose the Cross of No Darkness," but Ember had pushed both magical items towards him at once! So, you didn't bring these two magical items out for him to choose from, but rather as part of the "price"?

Klein knew very well that although the information he provided was confidential, it did not touch upon the core of the Twilight Hermits' Society. Either of these two magical items would have been enough to pay the 'price' for this information! But Ember gave both, clearly indicating that he didn't want to owe anyone a favor and wanted a clean transaction.

But the more this happened, the more panicked Klein became! On the surface, it seemed like he had gotten the better deal, but in reality, that might not be the case. After all, who knew if Ember was planning to burn him after repaying the favor!

But should he refuse now? That's even more impossible! After all, Mr. Fool can't just say, "Because I'm afraid of being burned by you, I only need one magical item," can he? In that case, these two magical items have become a hot potato, since it's hard to say whether this is actually a test by Ember!

There was clearly not much time for Klein to think or hesitate, so he paused briefly, then deliberately chuckled and asked casually:

"Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

Ember stared directly at Klein's figure and said in his usual calm and soothing tone:

"I'd like to know, what is Mr. 'The Fool's' stance on the Black Emperor issue?"

"You bet right!"

Klein breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression remained calm. He carefully chose his words and chuckled, "I have nothing to do with the Black Emperor, and in some ways, I'm even an enemy of the forces behind him. Whether you take action against the Black Emperor is none of my business. I'm only responsible for an equal exchange."

Klein had always felt that the linking of the First Flame was fraught with conspiracy. For example, the goddess had initially told Ember to link the First Flame, and then a series of events occurred, clearly indicating that someone was deliberately guiding Ember to kill the Black Emperor to link the First Flame. Therefore, Klein needed to clearly state his position, which consisted of five basic principles: no support, no opposition, no rejection, no recognition, and no responsibility.

Whether Ember kills the Black Emperor or not is none of his business. Klein can't and doesn't want to get involved. To put it bluntly, he doesn't care about the Black Emperor's life or death, or even the lives of all the gods in the sky, as long as Ember doesn't come to burn him!

"I see."

Ember nodded thoughtfully, then fell silent, offering no comment. This, however, made Klein uneasy. What had happened during Ember's trip to the ancient world? Why had his behavior changed so drastically?

What's with this sudden silence? Are you hesitating about whether to attack him now?! No way! I've never cheated you on anything! Besides, you owe me a favor! You're not really planning to burn me, are you?!

"Mr. Fool."

Audrey also vaguely sensed that something was amiss and asked softly, "What price do I need to pay?"

"Miss Justice is such a good person!"

While feeling touched by Miss Justice's thoughtful and considerate actions, Klein quickly came up with a solution and smiled:

"No need, Mr. 'Lover' has already paid enough."

"Mr. Fool".

Ember slowly spoke, "Thank you for your help."

Klein leaned back in his chair and smiled:

"Like I've always said, I like equivalent exchange."

This "transaction" was not actually equivalent, but now it is.

"Mr. 'The Fool,' you seem a little nervous?"

Audrey watched Klein's movements, a blasphemous thought suddenly popping into her mind, startling her. How could she dare to speak ill of the gods? Ever since Ember's lecture, she felt herself becoming increasingly disrespectful to the divine—she hadn't even reacted strongly to such momentous events as assassinating a king, or a quasi-god!

And now, facing Mr. Fool, she actually had the same thought! But she couldn't be blamed; although she couldn't read Mr. Fool's expression and appearance, his leaning back in his chair after the conversation was too obvious. It was like someone who had been tense suddenly relaxing. It was as if Mr. Fool was afraid…

Ah! No, Audrey, you can't think like that! Mr. Fool may be afraid of Ember's sudden attack, but that doesn't mean Mr. Fool's status has been lowered. He remains a supreme deity. This doesn't mean the divine status has disappeared; it only shows that Ember's power is too great!

But it's precisely because Ember is powerful enough that he was drawn into the gods' scheme! However, judging from the current situation, Mr. Fool doesn't seem to have been involved; his encounter with Ember was merely a coincidence. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, it's undoubtedly a good thing, beneficial to the unity within the Tarot Club.

Audrey pondered, carefully observing Ember and Mr. Fool. Enveloped in gray mist, she couldn't see through either of them, but Audrey didn't need to. She simply chose her words carefully and asked softly:

"Mr. 'Lover,' do you need my help to gather information on Herwin Lambis?"

She continued to focus on the topic, trying to ease the tension. But if Ember was trying to find the Twilight Hermits, starting with the Psycho-Alchemy Society would be the best option, and Herwin Lambis, as a high-ranking member, would be the best choice.

"It's best not to."

Yu Jin thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "The plan remains unchanged. We will take action on New Year's Day. Before that, do not do anything out of line that might arouse suspicion."

"it is good."

Audrey immediately understood and nodded gently.

She knew Ember was afraid of alerting the enemy, since anything happening to Herwin Lambis could easily arouse George III's suspicion. But for Ember, killing George III was far more important than Herwin Lambis. Rather than acting prematurely and alerting them, it was better to wipe them all out on New Year's Eve.

Audrey thought for a moment, then said playfully:

"In such matters, Mr. Lover, you may be able to ask the angels under Mr. Fool for help."

"..."

Mr. Fool's expression froze instantly. He had just praised Miss Justice as a sweet and caring daughter, so why was she bringing up his shortcomings now? Although he knew that Miss Justice meant to ease or even improve their relationship, the problem was, he didn't have any angels by his side!

But seeing the questioning look in Yu Jin's eyes, Klein couldn't remain silent, so he could only give an ambiguous and seemingly profound answer:

"I can offer discreet assistance."

"it is good."

Ember nodded slightly, without any doubt, assuming that the Fool wanted to prove his neutrality.

(End of this chapter)