Zhou Mingrui, with his Seer powers, quickly interpreted this as his transmigration was a new beginning–so likely, no, don't think about it–, openness, naivety, and adventure.
Just as the fortune-teller was about to say something, the cloth curtains of the tent were suddenly lifted open. The ray of sunlight that shone in was so blinding that it caused the back-facing Zhou Mingrui to instinctively narrow his eyes.
"Why are you impersonating me again! It's my job to handle the divination for people!" a woman's voice growled. "Return to your post quickly! You must remember that you're just an animal trainer!"
An animal trainer? Zhou Mingrui's eyes had already adapted to the light by now. He saw a similar-looking woman who was also wearing a sharp pointy hat in a black dress, with her face painted in red and yellow as well. The only difference was that she was taller and had a slimmer physique. The woman in front of me definitely seemed to be mad at this false fortuneteller I had already suspected. Also, from what she said earlier, it seemed like the false fortuneteller does this repeatedly. Though, unlike this false fortuneteller, you don't seem to have potential. Is the false fortuneteller's potential what causes her to come back and impersonate?
The woman who was seated in front of him immediately stood up and said disgruntledly, "Don't mind this; it's just that I like doing this. But I have to say, my divination and interpretation can be really accurate sometimes. I'm serious..."
She spoke and lifted her dress to go around from the side of the table before quickly trotting away from the tent.
"Sir, would you like me to interpret your cards for you?" the real fortune-teller looked at Zhou Mingrui and asked with a smile. She clearly looked like she was trying to find a way to make Zhou Mingrui pay.
Zhou Mingrui's lips twitched and asked her sincerely, "Is it free?"
"No," the real fortune-teller answered. She appeared to give up on trying to make him pay.
"Then forget it." Zhou Mingrui pulled his hands back and put them into his pockets. He clutched his revolver, then let go because he remembered he had far more effective powers. He still grabbed his money before stooping again to exit the tent. Though before that he quickly hid himself with an illusion and looked at the cards representing his past and future. They were the 6 of Cups and the Hanged Man. Nostalgia, childhood innocence, and sweet memories, while the Hanged Man is sacrifice. Zhou Mingrui decided to move on from this for now, thanks to his intuition.
Zhou Mingrui felt like he should be angry about getting his fortune told by an animal trainer, but something told him the divination was special. Perhaps out of instinct, he sent out a marionette to follow the animal trainer. Zhou Mingrui decided to finish up the shopping and go home. Together with the bread that he bought earlier, he spent a total of 25 copper pennies, which converted to two soli and one pence.
"Why does that false fortuneteller seem to have far more potential than that other fortuneteller? Also, how could I know she has more potential? Furthermore, she smelled good? I felt like I could . . ." Klein trailed off, realizing her potential came from something. He felt that her potential came from what gave him powers! Though he decided to move on.
"There is really not enough to go around for spending. Poor Benson..." Not only had Zhou Mingrui spent the two notes that he had brought with him, but it was also necessary for him to top it up with the one penny he had in his pocket.
He just lampooned and did not think further about it as he hurried back home.
With the staple food, he could now carry out the luck enhancement ritual!
Now at home, after making sure no one would bother him, he decided, perhaps out of intuition, to chant in Ancient Hermes. He quickly translated the incantations thanks to his powers.
After readying everything, he finally took out the four loaves of rye bread. He placed one in the corner where the coal stove was originally, one at the bottom inner side of the dresser mirror, one at the top of the cupboard where two walls met, and one at the right side of the study table where miscellaneous items were kept.
With a deep breath, Zhou Mingrui came to the center of the room and spent a few minutes to calm himself. Then, he took a solemn step forward and went in a counter-clockwise direction in the shape of a square.
When he took the first step, he chanted in a low whisper, "The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings." Zhou Mingrui felt his powers stir.
On the second step, he sincerely chanted, "The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings." Zhou Mingrui felt like his powers were increasing in strength, like they were preparing to do something!
On the third step, Zhou Mingrui breathed out a whisper. "The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings." His powers were on the brink of doing something greatly beneficial to him!
At the fourth step, he spat out a breath that should have been worried but was excited and . . . and meditated in concentration. "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings." His powers went . . . silent?
When he returned to the original spot, Zhou Mingrui closed his eyes and waited in his place for an outcome. He had some anticipation in him, some unease, some hope, and some fear. He believed his powers were doing something greatly beneficial to him.
He saw a crimson light flash out, and he felt like he was being dragged up. He heard dimmed whispering murmurs that he felt should drive his head to hurt, yet due to his powers didn't. When he felt the murmurs end, he opened his eyes. He was greeted with an endless gray fog.
"What's with this situation?" Zhou Mingrui suddenly looked around him and then lowered his head to discover that he was floating at the edge of an endless fog. He also noted that the fog seemed to be a part of him? He doesn't know why, but I seems to understand that he was the owner of this … place. The fog seemed to be fusing with him?
The fog was flowing like water and was dotted with a lot of crimson 'stars.' Some of them were enormous while others were tiny. There was a sense of them being hidden in the deep depths, while others floated over the surface of this water-like fog. He could tell that some of these stars were important and were linked to something.
Looking at the seemingly holographic sight, Zhou Mingrui reached out his right hand in a half-confused, half-exploring, half-intentional manner to try to touch the crimson 'star' that was seemingly floating on the surface. He was trying to find a way to leave this place, but he felt at the same time that he was trying to trigger the star because of his intuition. When his hand touched the surface of that star, a watermark suddenly appeared from within his body and agitated the stars into a "crimson" burst. It looked like a dreamlike burning of flames.
Zhou Mingrui got a fright from it. He retracted his right hand in a panic, but accidentally touched yet another crimson star.
As a result, this star burst with splendid light as well.
In turn, Zhou Mingrui felt his mind empty, and part of his spirituality went to trigger something.
…
A powerful noble from the Hall family in her home in Empress Borough of Backlund.
She switched between many different sayings, but there was no reaction from the mirror at all.
After more than 10 minutes, she finally chose to give up and pouted her lips in grievance. She said in a soft murmur, "Father was indeed lying to me. He always tells me that this mirror was the treasure of the Solomon Empire's Black Emperor, and that it is an extraordinary item..."
Her voice trailed off. The bronze mirror which rested on the dresser suddenly glowed with a crimson light that shrouded her completely.
…
In the Sonia Sea, a three-masted sailboat that looked like an obvious relic from a bygone era was navigating through a storm.
Alger Wilson stood on deck, his body undulating with the currents at sea, maintaining his balance easily. He wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns, and in his hand was a quirky-shaped glass bottle. The robe indicated he was someone with the Church of Storms. Bubbles billowed inside the bottle at times, frost turned into snow at times, and signs of gusting wind could be seen at times.
"Still short on the Ghost Shark's blood..." Alger murmured.
Then, at this moment, a crimson burst appeared in the space between the glass bottle and the surface of his palm. In an instant, it enveloped the surroundings as well.
…
In the fog of gray mist, Audrey Hall felt like she was being crushed by a great pressure. In pain that was receding, she regained sight. She started viewing the situation in a state of horror, confusion, and pain when she noticed the blurry image of a man on the opposite side of her doing the same as well.
…
Alger Wilson was in a great deal of pain and panic; whatever Audrey Hall was feeling was much worse for him. This was because he was a beyonder and one of the Sailor pathway, which was good at detecting high-level existences. That, paired with his intuition, told him he was looking at something near the level of a god or was a god. Alger immediately wanted to slam his head into the ground and beg for mercy. Thankfully for him, the pressure left, and he could begin to control himself.
…
Zhou Mingrui noticed their pain and instinctively realized he was harming them with his presence, and on instinct reigned his powers in. Removing the painful pressure the other two were feeling.
…
Immediately after, the two of them discovered another mysterious person standing not far from them who was shrouded in a gray mist.
The 'mysterious person' was none other than Zhou Mingrui. He was similarly dumbfounded.
"Sir, where is this?"
Audrey and Alger were startled at first, falling silent in the process. Then, Audrey spoke.
"What are you planning on doing?"
…
Not only did they speak the same Loen language, but they also shared the same grim and tense vibes. Though the lady seemed to be a bit more positive and curious than one should be. The man, though, seemed to try to hide his fear. He was failing.
Where am I? What do I plan to do here? I would like to know too... Calming himself down, Zhou Mingrui silently repeated the questions posed by the two.
What left the deepest impression on him were neither the sentences formed by words nor the meanings behind them, but the display of bewilderment, vigilance, panic, and reverence by the couple! Especially the man, he seemed to be experienced, unlike the lady.
For some baffling reason, two people had been mysteriously dragged into this world surrounded by gray fog. As the perpetrator, Zhou Mingrui was already feeling abnormally dumbfounded and startled, let alone the couple who were pulled into this mess completely passively!
For them, such events and encounters might already be beyond their imaginations, right?
Momentarily, Zhou Mingrui thought of two options: The first option was feigning victimhood to hide his true identity, and in turn gain a considerable amount of trust. He could then take a wait-and-see approach and take advantage of his circumstances where necessary. The other option was to maintain his mysterious identity in the eyes of the couple. He could then affect the subsequent development while gleaning valuable information from them.
Without the luxury of time to deliberate over the situation, or perhaps he already knew the answer, he grasped hold of the thought that flashed across his mind. He made an immediate decision to try out the second idea.
Exploit the psychological state of the others to gain the greatest advantage for himself!
After a few seconds of silence in the fog, Zhou Mingrui chuckled. With a low but not heavy tone, he calmly spoke as though he was replying to the polite greetings from the visitors, "An attempt."
An attempt... an attempt? Audrey Hall looked at the mysterious deity veiled in the grayish-white fog, and the only thought was that whatever was happening was absurd, funny, horrifying, and weird. She was at the dressing table inside her bedroom only moments ago. But just by turning around, she had "come" to this place that was filled with gray fog! How inconceivable!
Audrey took a breath, revealing an impeccable, courteous smile. She asked in a somewhat perturbed way, "Sir, is the attempt over? Might you permit our return?"
Alger may have also wanted to do that, but he was more concerned with his survival and the intention to slam his head into the ground and grovel for mercy. One might say he was the far more sensible of the two.
Zhou Mingrui looked at the questioner more carefully. To him, the gray fog parted, and he saw an utterly stunning lady. She was tall, with smooth blond hair, definitely a noble, green eyes, definitely considered stunning. Then, without bothering to answer, he looked at the man.
Alger immediately sensed his gaze and started sweating, his self-control almost breaking.
To Zhou Mingrui, he saw that the man had messy dark-blue hair, as well as a medium stature that was not considered stout.
Zhou Mingrui also realized he had considerable power here. He could see through the gray fog while the other two couldn't!
In this situation, they are the visitors, and I'm the master! After changing his mindset, Zhou Mingrui instantly noticed details that he had neglected earlier on. The girl with a melodious voice and the mature, withdrawn man both looked considerably incorporeal. Tainted by a faint crimson red, they resembled a projected image of the two crimson red "stars" beyond the gray fog. This projection was based on the connection between the crimson red and himself, an intangible connection that only he himself could realistically grasp hold of.
The projection would disappear once the connection was cut, and the couple would then return... Zhou Mingrui nodded mildly and looked at the blond, chuckling. "Of course, if you make a formal request, you can return this very moment."
When she did not identify any ill intention from his tone, Audrey heaved a sigh of relief. She believed that since a gentleman who was capable of such miraculous things had given his word, he would definitely abide by it stringently. With her mind somewhat mollified, she surprisingly was in no hurry to request her leave. She rolled her virid eyes left and right, which sparkled with an abnormal radiance.
She said in an anxious, anticipative, and tempted manner, "This is such a wonderful experience... Yes, I have always been hoping that something like this would happen. I mean—I like mysteries and supernatural miracles. No, my point is—what I mean is that, Sir, what can I do to become a Beyonder?"
She got more excited as she spoke, so much so that she was fumbling over her words. The dream that sprouted in her as a result of listening to thrilling fantasies as told by her elders finally saw the possibility of being materialized. However, with just a few words, she had already forgotten all her previous fears and horrors. She was truly naive.
Good question! I would also like to know the answer... Zhou Mingrui complained inwardly. Though he immediately realized that his powers may be from these "Beyonders"? He started to ponder an answer to the question to maintain his unfathomable image. At the same time, he felt that it was quite unbecoming of him to talk while standing. Shouldn't he be in a palace, sitting at the head of a long table, and on a mysterious high-back chair engraved with ancient patterns, while silently observing his visitors?
As soon as this thought surfaced, the gray fog started to churn, giving both Audrey and Alger a shock. In an instant, they saw several towering stone pillars around them. Above them was a vast dome that encapsulated them. This entire edifice looked magnificent, grand, and lofty, just like a legendary palace for giants. Directly under the dome, where the gray fog gathered, a long, bronze table appeared with ten high-back chairs on either side in asymmetrical arrangement, along with a chair on each of the two ends of the long table. The back of each chair dazzled and shone faintly with crimson red, drawing the outlines of weird constellations that differed from reality. Audrey and Alger sat face-to-face, sitting next to the Seat of Honor.
The girl looked to her sides and could not help but mumble, "How fascinating..."
It is certainly fascinating... Zhou Mingrui extended his right hand and caressed the edge of the bronze table, a little while maintaining an unperturbed expression.
After a while of silence that left everyone on edge, Zhou Mingrui felt like he should do something.
What should I do? I don't know anything; it's not like I can just divine an answer? Wait, where did I come up with divining? Zhou Mingrui felt himself enter a dream divination that told him the man could answer the question and could answer the desire the lady was going to ask. Yes, good!
Zhou Mingrui, putting on unfathomable airs, spoke, "This man here can answer your question."
Alger flinched in panic before quickly controlling himself spoke, "Are you from Loen? If you want to become a Beyonder, join the Churches of either the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of Storms, or the God of Steam and Machinery. The majority of us will not meet a Beyonder our entire lives. This has caused Churches, and even some clergymen within some of the biggest Churches, to suspect the same. While this is the case, I am certain to tell you that Beyonders still exist in courts, tribunals, and execution agencies. They are still fighting against the dangers that grow in the dark, only that their numbers are much fewer as compared to before and during the early days of the Iron Age."
Zhou Mingrui listened attentively, but he tried his best to present himself as paying little attention to Alger's words, much like how he was listening to kids telling stories.
Relying on Klein's fragmented general knowledge of history, Zhou Mingrui knew clearly that the "Iron Age" referred to the current epoch, which was the Fifth Epoch that began 1349 years ago.
Audrey silently listened to Alger finish his sentence before sighing.
"Mister, I know all about what you just said; I even know more than that, including the Nighthawks, the Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind, but I don't want to lose my freedom."
Alger gave a very strained voice and said vaguely, "You can't become a Beyonder without sacrifices. If you don't consider joining Churches and accepting their given challenges, you can only seek the royal families and the few nobles with family histories of more than a thousand years. If not, you can rely on your luck to search for clandestine evil organizations."
Audrey puffed her cheeks subconsciously and looked around in a fluster. After confirming that both the "mysterious man" and Alger did not notice her tic, she pressed, "Are there no other solutions?"
Zhou Mingrui relied on his divination spoke, "This man possesses a sequence 9 potion called Spectator that you will appreciate."
Audrey looked at Zhou Mingrui, then Alger, and eagerly said, "Really!?"
Alger was shaking and wondering how Zhou Mingrui knew, and whether, no, he should give the formula. Wait, no, the mysterious deity didn't ask for the formula. Why am I panicking so badly? Oh, wait, he's a god; of course I'm panicking.
Seeing that both Audrey and Zhou Mingrui were looking at him, he, after steeling his resolve, replied, "I have two sets of Sequence 9 potion formulas."
Sequence 9? Zhou Mingrui muttered to himself in his Alger nodded slightly and echoed the same question in a serious manner, "Sir, how should we address you?"
Zhou Mingrui was taken aback. He gently rapped his fingers on the bronze table. The contents of the earlier divination flashed across his mind suddenly. He leaned back, withdrew his right hand, and crossed his ten fingers, placing them below his chin. He gave the duo a faint smile.
"You can address me as..." Upon saying this, he paused for a moment. He said amiably and calmly, "The Fool."