Because of Sandy's matter, Lex was a bit distracted this morning, lacking interest even in social activities. He only stayed for a little over an hour before leaving the Horse Riding Club.
After a simple lunch, he returned to the hotel, to his bedroom, and seriously pondered the matter.
Currently, as far as I know, Maynard and McGovern, both members of the Horse Riding Club, have experienced coughing up strange smoke when they cough.
And now, the club's auditor, Sandy, has suddenly committed suicide. Does this indicate that some unknown danger is lurking within the club?
It's just that I didn't observe the phenomenon of coughing up smoke on Sandy. Perhaps his death is an isolated incident, not directly related to the abnormalities in the other two members.
But I've only met Sandy a few times, so it's possible he had the same phenomenon, and I just wasn't aware of it.
If that's the case, then going to the club frequently would be dangerous for me. But if I don't show up, it will arouse suspicion, and perhaps even trigger the danger within?
Hmm, I need to investigate the club, but I can't appear there myself.
Should I entrust it to Detective Robin?
Lex walked out of his room and called Gru: "Go find Detective Robin and tell him I have a new commission."
"Yes, sir." The bodyguard turned and left, softly muttering, "Great, I can grab an ice cream on the way."
Feeling a sense of unease, Lex instinctively thought of praying, and then thought of the bronze mirror and Klein.
He returned to his bedroom, took out the notebook he had bought at the last Beyonder gathering, and prayed in front of the bronze mirror as usual. Only this time, after he had finished praying, he deliberately held the notebook and said: "It wasn't easy to get Emperor Roselle's notebook, but what do these symbols actually mean..."
After speaking, Lex, without much expectation, intended to put the notebook away. Suddenly, a deep crimson bloomed before his eyes. The Light came from within the bronze mirror, instantly engulfing him.
When he came to his senses, he found himself standing in a majestic palace, with colossal stone pillars supporting the dome. Throughout the palace, boundless gray-white mist permeated, appearing both ethereal and indistinct, with a sense of unreality.
Within this mist, there were also deep crimson points of light, like stars.
In front of Lex was a mottled bronze long table, which seemed to have endured endless years, exuding an ancient aura.
Just opposite the long table, Lex clearly saw a figure shrouded in thick gray mist. Caught off guard by this shadow, even though he was somewhat prepared, Lex was still startled and asked from the bottom of his heart: "You, who are you?"
"Are you a god?"
The figure behind the thick mist responded in a leisurely and relaxed tone: "I am not a god. I am merely The Fool who likes equivalent exchange. If you can provide something of value, you can obtain what you desire from me, or from others similar to you."
It really is Klein!
This is the palace Above the Gray Mist. Oh my god, I can actually come here, it's like a dream.
Lex didn't suppress his joyful and excited feelings, but also showed vigilance, so as not to let The Fool opposite him realize that he seemed to know what Above the Gray Mist looked like.
"Then, what kind of things do you consider valuable? Oh, by the way, I recently obtained a few pages of Emperor Roselle's notebook. I wonder if you are interested in them?"
The figure behind the thick gray mist did not respond immediately, but said: "Don't rush this. As I just said, I like equivalent exchange. I have given you an opportunity with infinite possibilities, and you must pay a corresponding price."
Lex asked somewhat guiltily: "What do you want?"
"I want to know the reason for your prayer. Judging by the language you used, you should be a Loenese. From your attire, you possess a certain social status."
"For a Loenese of a certain status, if he needs to pray and ask for a god's blessing, wouldn't it be more appropriate to pray to those few?"
Here it comes!
Just as that Watcher said, Klein would ask me for the reason.
"As you can see, I am a Loenese. To be precise, I am the adopted son of a baron. I am a Beyonder, a Sequence 8 Provoker. I was raised to be the 'shield' of that family."
"Just recently, I experienced an evil god's descent event. Although the event seems to be resolved, I am worried about being watched by the evil god."
"I have prayed to those orthodox gods, but I have never received any revelation. And recently, I feel that danger is approaching me. I am eager to become stronger to cope with possible dangers."
"I bought an ancient bronze mirror from a friend, which is said to be an item from the Solomon Empire period."
"At the same time, I was told that these items can sometimes establish a connection with ancient gods. I tried praying to the bronze mirror many times, but I never received a response."
"Originally, I didn't have much hope today, but I didn't expect that I could actually come to such a magical, incredible place."
Lex basically described his experiences and feelings truthfully, not even concealing the matter of the bronze mirror. He didn't lie, he just didn't go into enough detail.
The figure in the thick mist remained silent, seemingly tapping the long table with his fingers, which made Lex feel a pang of guilt.
After a moment, Lex heard a calm voice coming from the opposite side of the long table: "For the next two days, I will pull you up here at any time. Try to avoid being with other people."
Lex's heart finally settled. It seemed he had passed the initial review. He composed himself and calmly replied: "As you wish."
"Hmm."
The figure in the thick mist let out a light chuckle: "Before that, you need to decide your codename."
Just then, a deck of Tarot cards appeared on the surface of the bronze long table.
I know this!
Young Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man are some kind of codenames.
Lex walked over and heard the one opposite the long table say: "Pick one of the cards. However, The Fool, Justice, Hanged Man, and Sun are excluded."
"Okay."
Lex flipped through the Tarot cards and suddenly saw a card depicting an ancient Chariot. He thought of the Hunter, or rather, the Red Priest pathway being related to war.
So he picked up that Chariot card: "I choose it."
"Chariot!"
"Remember your choice; it will run through the entirety of your life." From within the thick gray mist, the figure raised his hand and extended it forward.
Deep crimson light shone before Lex's eyes again. When the Light dissipated, he saw his bedroom, and the bronze mirror on the wall. Crack, crack, the mirror shattered completely, turning into illusory Light that vanished into the air.
Subsequently, a deep crimson light shone on the back of his hand. The Light spiraled inward, revealing a circle radiating lines. This strange symbol quickly sank into the back of his hand, completely disappearing.
Everything was like a dream.
It took a moment for Lex to finally let out a breath, silently thinking in his heart, not daring to speak aloud: I have finally joined the Tarot Club!