Lord of Mysteries:When the Fool Meets the Masked Fool

The following is a discussion between Audrey and Alger about potions and official Beyonder beings. Not only did they fail to obtain any useful information from Klein, but they ended up educating "Mr. Fool" on common knowledge of the Beyonder world.

Finally, Alger shattered the girl's illusions with the statement: "Who wouldn't want to become Beyonder without paying a price?" This made Audrey puff her cheeks in frustration.

After another period of silence, Alger could no longer contain himself. With Mr. Fool's approval, he carefully said: "I actually have two Sequence 9 formulas."

Audrey clearly knew what Sequence 9 meant. Under Mr. Fool's confused gaze, she excitedly asked: "Really? Which two?"

Then, Alger first solemnly explained the worldview, and introduced the Sequence 9 potions of Sailor and Spectator to Audrey.

At this point, Celeris, who had been arguing with the husky and hadn't made much noise, suddenly made his presence known: "You two, I also have several Sequence 9 formulas here. Let me think... Seer, Bard, Corpse Collector, Hunter, Apothecary... about that many."

He wanted to see if, with his simple intervention, Miss Justice would continue down the path of the Spectator.

Although he hadn't deliberately memorized them when reading the book before, he could still recall them when needed. There were quite a few clever gadgets similar to the Pensieve from Harry Potter in the Honkai: Star Rail world, and methods for extracting memories were not lacking.

Suddenly producing five different potion formulas stunned everyone present. A sense of déjà vu from early web novels with overpowered protagonists washed over them. If Alger had a brain freeze at this moment and jumped out to let Celeris show off, it would have been even more fitting.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Alger just quietly looked at Audrey, waiting for her to make a choice.

Faced with this "selection scene," Audrey's gaze wandered back and forth between Celeris and Alger. After hesitating for quite a while, she said: "I think I seem to prefer the feeling of Spectator." She turned to face Alger, "What should I use to exchange with you?"

Miss Justice ultimately chose Spectator. So, was this because Audrey truly liked Spectator, or was there interference from fate or higher beings? Celeris rested his head on one hand, pondering this question.

Alger seemed prepared and replied solemnly: "Blood of a ghost shark, at least 100 milliliters of ghost shark blood."

Audrey nodded excitedly at first, then asked worriedly: "If I can get it, I mean if, how should I give it to you? And how can I ensure that you'll give me the potion formula after receiving the ghost shark blood, as well as the authenticity of this formula?"

Alger replied casually: "I'll give you an address. Once I receive the ghost shark blood, I'll mail the formula back to you, or tell you directly here. As for assurance, I think if this mysterious gentleman serves as a witness, both you and I will be sufficiently reassured."

As he said this, he turned his gaze towards Klein, who was sitting at the head of the table: "Sir, you are able to bring us here, possessing power beyond our imagination. Your witness, whether for me or her, we dare not defy."

 [What is this? A test?]

 "Yes, probably testing whether Klein can pull him up Here. And he ignoring Klein to talk about business before is probably testing Klein 's tolerance for them. If Audrey is just naive, then Alger was really reckless in the early stage."

  [Sailor's way, please understand.]

"Oh, yes!" Audrey's eyes lit up, excitedly agreeing. She had no self-awareness of being used as a pawn. In her view, the mysterious gentleman with unimaginable methods was indeed an "authoritative" enough witness. Neither she nor the guy opposite would have the guts to deceive him!

Audrey half-turned her body and sincerely looked at Klein: "Sir, please be the witness for our transaction." At this moment, she realized she had forgotten a certain question all along, which was too impolite. She hurriedly asked: "Sir, what should we call you?"

Alger nodded slightly and solemnly asked: "Sir, what should we call you?"

Klein was stunned for a moment, his fingers lightly tapping on the bronze long table. The content of his previous divination suddenly flashed through his mind.

[Oh, oh, it's coming, a famous scene.]

Klein leaned back, withdrew his right hand, and interlaced his fingers under his chin. He smiled at the two and said: "You can call me..." At this point, he paused, then spoke in a gentle and calm tone:

"The Fool."

[Ah~ So cool~ I was filled with the famous scene of the Fool, and I couldn't help humming with satisfaction~]

The brief answer quickly dissipated in the majestic temple and the pervasive mist, but in Audrey and Alger's hearts, that voice echoed for a long time, stirring up ripple after ripple.

Although unexpected, they felt that this kind of mysterious big shot should have such a title, perfectly embodying the image of mystery, power, and bizarreness!

Celeris' surprised laughter suddenly rang out, interrupting Audrey's next action:

"Aha, my goodness, dear Mr. Fool. This is a wonderful coincidence. You see, you are the Fool, and I am a Masked Fool. Hmm, perhaps we could have been family thousands of years ago~"

"Masked Fool..." Alger silently repeated this term. Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he turned his head to look at Celeris, "Perhaps... this so-called Masked Fool is an organization once established by Mr. Fool. He doesn't seem to know Mr. Fool... so their connection was severed for some reason. Now Mr. Fool has brought that person to this place, perhaps to regain control of this organization... As expected of a big shot."

Klein and Audrey were also stunned for a moment. Audrey looked at Mr. Fool in confusion, hoping to hear a response from this mysterious big shot.

Without much time to think, Klein's brain spun rapidly and immediately came up with a strategy. He chuckled and said: "Who can be certain about such things?"

He chose to brush it off with an ambiguous response.

"Oh, alright..." Celeris seemed a bit disappointed. "I just..." He seemed to want to say something, but looked at Audrey and Alger, "No, it's nothing."

After a few seconds of silence, to avoid an awkward pause, Audrey stood up, virtually lifted her skirt, bent her knees, and curtsied to Klein: "Respected Mr. Fool, please allow me to boldly implore, can you be the witness for our transaction?"

"A small matter," Klein replied quickly, in a manner befitting his status.

"It is our honor, Mr. Fool," Alger also stood up, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed. To avoid being out of place, Celeris also stood up and bowed.

Klein's right hand made a virtual pressing motion as he smiled and said: "Please continue."

Alger nodded, sat back down, glanced at Celeris, then looked back at Audrey and said: "If you can get the ghost shark blood, have someone send it to the 'Warrior and Sea' tavern on Pelican Street in the White Rose district of Pritz Port. Tell the owner, Williams, that this is what the 'Captain' wants."

After a pause, Alger asked: "After I confirm, do you want me to mail the potion formula to an address you provide, or should I just tell you directly here?"

Audrey thought for a while, then smiled and said: "I choose the more confidential method, right here, although it will test my memory. Since Mr. Fool has agreed to witness the transaction, it means there will be another similar 'gathering' next time."

Thinking about this, she suddenly turned her head and looked at Klein with sparkling eyes, proposing with interest:

"Mr. Fool, do you mind having a few more 'attempts' like this?"

Alger listened calmly, also feeling excited. He quickly added: "Mr. Fool, don't you find this kind of 'gathering' interesting? Although your power surpasses our imagination, there are always areas in the world that you may not understand or excel at. The young lady opposite, who is clearly of noble birth, and the gentleman who calls himself a Masked Fool might be able to help you in certain matters. I also have my own experiences, knowledge, channels, and resources. Perhaps we could help you accomplish some insignificant tasks that you find inconvenient to do yourself in the future."

In his view, since he was pulled into this place without any defense or resistance, it meant that the mysterious Mr. Fool held the initiative. It wasn't a matter of refusing or not wanting to participate in future "gatherings" that would necessarily succeed, so it was better to dig deeper and better into the benefits of this encounter, using gains to compensate for passivity and disadvantages.

The four parties at the long table had different backgrounds, different resources, different information channels, and different understandings of mysterious fields. If they could communicate and cooperate to a limited extent, it would produce immeasurable and immeasurable effects.

For example, the resource exchange just agreed upon, or if he wanted to kill someone, he could completely ask a "gathering member" who had no apparent or substantial connection with him to help, which would perfectly misdirect the matter in another direction.

Of noble birth... Is my performance, my accent so obvious? Audrey's mouth half-opened, stunned for a moment, but she quickly came to her senses and nodded without hesitation: "Mr. Fool, I think this is a very good suggestion. As long as the 'gatherings' become regular, for some things, if it's inconvenient for you to appear in person, you can completely hand them over to us, of course, within our capabilities."

"Yes, Mr. Fool, we Masked Fools are famous for handling matters swiftly and decisively. And think about it, Masked Fools helping the Fool, how interesting is that?" Celeris also quickly chimed in to persuade.

"Swift and decisive... Huh? Where did you get that from? Is this still a Masked Fool?" Alger pondered the meaning behind Celeris' words. "Could it be an organization from the Fourth Epoch or even earlier? Or perhaps, the Forsaken Lands of the Gods?"

 [Non-Gang +1+1+1]

From earlier, Klein had been weighing the pros and cons. More "gatherings" would indeed allow him to gain more Beyonder mysteries and mystical knowledge, which would be helpful for his future return journey. For example, the "Spectator" potion formula that should appear at the next "gathering" could also help obtain information for his current real life and get some assistance. However, more "gatherings" also made it easier to expose his true nature.

He inconspicuously glanced at Celeris from the corner of his eye, remembering his earlier hesitation to speak. He felt somewhat uneasy, wondering if he had impersonated some big shot.

Indeed, no matter which world, there are no things that only have advantages... Klein once again extended his right hand, lightly tapping the edge of the long table with his fingers.

Considering that the convening and dismissal of the "gathering" were under his control, even if some problems were exposed, they were still within a controllable range. The benefits clearly outweighed the drawbacks. Klein quickly made a decision. He stopped his tapping motion and, facing six expectant yet nervous gazes, smiled and said:

"I am a person who likes equivalent exchange. I won't let you help without conditions. Every Monday, at three in the afternoon, try to be alone. After I experiment a few more times and figure out some things, perhaps you can take leave in advance and not worry about being in unsuitable situations."

This was considered as agreeing to the three's proposal.

Audrey, who had just turned seventeen and had always been sheltered, still had a strong girlish nature. Hearing Mr. Fool's answer, she couldn't help but clench her fists and wave them lightly in front of her chest.

"Then shouldn't we give ourselves code names? After all, we can't communicate using our real names," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement, before Alger could speak.

Although my true situation may not be hidden from Mr. Fool, the two guys opposite are also somewhat dangerous, and I can't let them know who I really am!

"You can," Klein answered briefly and casually.

Audrey immediately let her thoughts wander, thinking aloud: "You are Mr. Fool, from the Tarot cards. For a regular, long-term, secret 'gathering', the titles should be as consistent as possible. Hmm, I'll choose from the Tarot cards too."

Her tone gradually became cheerful: "Decided, my title is 'Justice'!" This is one of the twenty-one major arcana of the Tarot.

Miss Justice officially comes online!

"What about you two gentlemen?" Audrey smiled and looked at her "companions" opposite.

Alger frowned slightly, then relaxed and said: "The Hanged Man."

This is another major arcana card.

Then, they both turned their gaze to Celeris.

"Then I'll be... the Devil," Celeris rubbed his chin.

"Alright, then we can be considered the founding members of the Tarot Club!" Audrey blurted out happily, then looked a bit timidly at Klein, who was shrouded in grayish-white mist, "Is that okay, Mr. Fool?"

Klein shook his head amusedly: "For such small matters, you can make your own decisions."

"Thank you!" Audrey was obviously very excited.

Then, she looked at Alger again: "Mr. Hanged Man, can you repeat the address from earlier? I'm afraid my memory might not be deep enough."

"No problem," Alger was quite satisfied with Audrey's seriousness and repeated the address once more.

After silently reciting it three times, Audrey enthusiastically asked again: "I've heard that Tarot cards are just a game invented by Emperor Roselle and don't actually have divination functions?"

"No, in many cases, divination comes from oneself. Everyone has spirituality and can resonate with the spirit world and higher-level information related to themselves. It's just that ordinary people can't perceive this, let alone interpret the 'hints' they receive. When they use divination tools, this information is presented through the tools. A simple example is dreams and dream interpretation," Alger glanced at Klein, and seeing no reaction from him, denied Audrey's statement, "Tarot cards actually belong to this kind of tool. They use more symbols and more reasonable elements to help us interpret 'hints' more conveniently and accurately."

Klein appeared nonchalant but was listening very attentively. At this point, Klein's spirituality should have been nearly exhausted, but with Celeris' earlier help, Klein now only felt a slight stabbing pain in his brow.

"I understand," Audrey nodded in agreement, then emphasized, "That's not what I meant. I'm not questioning the Tarot cards. I heard that Emperor Roselle actually made another deck of cards, a secret one, symbolizing some unknown powers. There are twenty-two cards in total. After completing it, he invented the twenty-two major arcana of the Tarot cards as a game tool based on this. Is this statement accurate?"

She looked at Klein, seemingly wanting to get an answer from the mysterious Mr. Fool.

 [That day, Ceres recalled the fear of being dominated by Doctor Truth. ]

  "Shut up, if you keep doing this, I'll test you."

Klein just smiled without speaking, sweeping his gaze over the "Devil" and the "Hanged Man," as if testing them.

Alger unconsciously straightened his back like a primary school student being questioned by a teacher, and said in a deep voice: "Yes, it is said that Emperor Roselle had seen the Blasphemy Slate, and that deck of cards concealed the mysteries of the twenty-two Paths of God."

"Twenty-two Paths of God..." Audrey repeated in a tone full of longing.

"Then, do you know what the twenty-two Paths of God are?" Audrey's eyes, like gems, were full of aspiration.

"This... I only know a few of them, and even those are incomplete... maybe not even correct..." Alger was somewhat embarrassed.

"I know," Celeris joined the conversation, "So what are you willing to exchange for it? Mr. Fool just said we need equivalent exchange."

At this point, the pain in Klein's brow gradually spread into a headache. He closed his eyes briefly to alleviate the pain.

"Hmm... would pounds be okay? If so, how much do you think is appropriate?" Audrey tried to inquire.

"Not necessary at all, sister. If you just want to know the names, I can tell you the first three sequences of each path," Celeris revealed a smile as pure as Ding Zhen's, although no one could see it.

"Really?" Audrey was delighted to hear this, but also somewhat hesitant, "But didn't we say there should be equivalent exchange?"

Alger seemed to understand Celeris' intention but didn't

Alger seemed to understand Celeris's intentions but didn't voice any objections. He merely estimated in his mind: This guy's a swindler...

"I don't actually remember everything,"Celeris waved his hand after glancing at The Fool. "Let's leave it for another time—next gathering, perhaps."

Klein's headache grew worse. He felt the intangible connection between himself, the crimson stars, and the grayish-white fog begin to waver.

"Alright, that's it for today's gathering," he decided, speaking in a low voice.

"Understood, dear Fool~"Celeris rose and gave a theatrical bow.

"As you will," Alger stood up and lowered his head in salute.

"As you will," Audrey imitated The Hanged Man. She still had so many questions, so many thoughts—she was completely unwilling for the meeting to end.

As Klein severed the connection, he chuckled softly. "Let's look forward to our next gathering."

The stars shone once more, and the deep crimson light receded like water. The moment the three heard The Fool's final words, their figures grew fainter, more illusory.

In less than a second, the projections shattered, and silence returned above the gray fog.

-------

"Who wouldn't want to become Beyonder without paying a price?"

This is similar to the famous meme format, "Everyone wants [X], but nobody wants to [do the necessary hard part]." For example, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die." Alger is sarcastically stating that everyone wants supernatural powers, but they don't want the costs that come with it."Celeris, who had been arguing with the husky..."

This could be a reference to the "arguing with a dog" meme, where someone engages in a pointless argument. The specific mention of a "husky" might also reference viral videos of huskies being dramatic or talkative, as they are known for their stubborn and expressive behavior."A sense of déjà vu from early web novels with overpowered protagonists washed over them."

This references the common trope in Chinese and Korean web novels where protagonists suddenly acquire vast knowledge or power effortlessly, often shocking others. It also evokes the meme "MC too OP, pls nerf.""There were quite a few clever gadgets similar to the Pensieve from Harry Potter in the Honkai: Star Rail world."

A direct reference to the Pensieve from Harry Potter, a magical object that allows one to extract and review memories. Also, Honkai: Star Rail, a popular sci-fi RPG, has advanced memory technology. This comparison is meme-like because it humorously justifies Celeris' convenient memory recall."If Alger had a brain freeze at this moment and jumped out to let Celeris show off, it would have been even more fitting."

This likely references the meme "NPC brain lag", where a character in a game or story momentarily freezes, giving the protagonist an opportunity to dominate the conversation or situation."Aha, my goodness, dear Mr. Fool. This is a wonderful coincidence."

The phrasing and exaggerated reaction resemble the "Ah, I see you're a man of culture as well" meme, where someone humorously recognizes a connection."Masked Fool..."

The way Alger jumps to grand conclusions about the Masked Fool organization is similar to the "Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia conspiracy board" meme, where someone overanalyzes minor details to create elaborate theories."Swift and decisive... Huh? Where did you get that from?"

This mirrors the "Wait a minute, that's illegal" meme, where someone questions the logic of a statement in a humorous way."Audrey, who had just turned seventeen and had always been sheltered, still had a strong girlish nature."

This subtly references the "UwU innocent anime girl" trope and could be tied to memes about naïve or overly enthusiastic young characters.