951 Drawing A Card (1/2)

By the time Leonard reacted, he saw numerous towering stone pillars, as well as a towering palace that looked like a giant's residence above the endless grayish-white fog that was being propped up by these stone pillars.

His green eyes wore a blank look. After a second, Leonard found himself sitting on a high-back chair beside a long mottled bronze table at some point in time. Beside him and opposite him were high-back chairs that exuded solemnity.

And at the end of the long mottled table, where the seat of honor was, a figure was shrouded in thick gray fog. The figure was leaning into his seat leisurely, as though he was overlooking everything.

When this figure appeared in Leonard's eyes, he felt as though he was on a liner, seeing a bottomless abyss whose boundaries were nowhere to be seen. It also felt like he had left the city and was on the outskirts, looking up to see lofty mountains that tore through the clouds.

Instantly, many thoughts flashed through Leonard's mind. He had a rough guess as to what he was experiencing. As a Beyonder of the Church, a believer who knew that deities truly exist, he wasn't able to resist his feelings. He subconsciously wished to leave his seat and prostrate before the existence before him.

The might of a deity was boundless!

Just as Leonard stood up, he was pressed down by an invisible force. A slow and calm voice resonated in his ears:

”There's no need for such trouble.

”You can call me Mr. Fool.”

The Fool… Indeed… Leonard's fear of the unknown had settled immediately. Although he was still worried about what would happen next, he wasn't that perturbed any longer. He didn't sit uneasily with a dry mouth and parched lips.

He got up halfway, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed.

”Honorable Mr. Fool, why did you summon me here?”

As an experienced Nighthawk and a Red Glove who had participated in major cases, Leonard knew how dangerous it was to establish a connection with a secret existence. He knew that he had slid down the edge of the abyss and had no chance of redemption.

At that moment when he decided to chant The Fool's honorific name, he was able to foresee his tragic end. But for revenge, he had made the choice regardless.

However, everyone had the instinct to survive. Recalling how Klein Moretti, who believed in The Fool, was still alive and had even become a demigod, Leonard couldn't help but hold out some hope and expectations.

At this moment, he heard the fog-enshrouded Fool chuckle.

”Since you prayed to me for help, then based on the principle of equivalent exchange, you definitely need to pay the price.”

Leonard's body trembled as he bowed his head lower.

”What is it you wish?”

After a brief pause, The Fool's voice sounded again:

”There's no rush. Perhaps there will be something that requires you to provide help to certain people.

”Have a seat.”

Leonard slowly calmed himself down and sat. He looked around and asked, ”He… Klein Moretti… has been here like me?”

The Fool's said with a calm tone, ”In a different manner.”

Different manner… Indeed, Klein didn't enter because he chanted the honorific name. He had been introduced by that Death Consul named Azik Eggers before becoming one of Mr. Fool's faithful… Leonard couldn't help but survey the area, and he discovered that there were a total of twenty-two high-back chairs around the long mottled table.

It corresponds to the twenty-two Beyonder pathways. There are also twenty-two tarot cards… The Fool… Just as Leonard came up with a theory, he heard Mr. Fool chuckle.

”Other than you, there are other living beings that have been pulled in here for various reasons.

”They earnestly wished for me to convene a gathering to carry out the exchange of information and the transaction of materials and formulas. They also help each other. This allows them to rapidly advance, eventually becoming High-Sequence Beyonders.”

This is a little different from the secret organization represented by tarot cards I had imagined. It's rather loosely organized… What motives does Mr. Fool have to agree to such a request? After coming to the ancient palace above the gray fog, Leonard felt high-strung, causing his thought processes to be a lot more agile than usual. He came up with all kinds of questions.

After successfully achieving revenge, he had been feeling low-spirited and empty for a moment, as though he had lost his goal in life. However, he quickly pulled himself together. This was because Daly's death told him that he wasn't strong enough. To reduce the number of casualties of his companions in future missions and so as to not lack the ability to save them, he needed to reach Sequence 4 at the very least. He needed to become a demigod.

Therefore, The Fool's words had stirred his heart. He felt that it was an opportunity. Meanwhile, he also believed that by joining the gathering, he could deeply understand the situation of the secret organization. It helped in maximally averting the danger that resulted from establishing contact with The Fool.

After some deliberation, Leonard asked, ”Klein Moretti is also a regular member of this gathering?

”Does he have a seat here?”

The Fool replied without much concern, ”Yes.”

Leonard fell silent for a second as he asked, ”Honorable Mr. Fool, can I join this regular gathering?”

Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool said with a smile, ”Sure.