Mystery: Starting from the Shadow World

Chapter 6 Mr. Fool must have some deeper meaning.

Tap, tap, tap.

In the unsettling silence, "The Fool" stopped tapping the table, looked up, and smiled at the three men's anxious gazes: "I am a person who likes equal exchange."

"Every Monday at 3 PM, try to be alone. I need to try a few more times before you can ask for leave to avoid special circumstances."

This can be considered a tacit agreement to the request.

All three of them visibly delighted. Audrey, in particular, relaxed a bit and said enthusiastically, "I think we should also get some titles. After all, we should have names for each other, but they can't be our real names."

"Good idea," said the Fool, Zhou Mingrui, briefly and casually.

"Well, Mr. Fool, your name comes from a Tarot card, and..." After receiving the answer, Audrey stroked her chin, looked around at the twenty-two seats, and then clapped her hands happily as if she had solved a mystery.

"I've decided, I'll choose from the tarot cards. My title will be 'Justice'!"

"Speaking of which, Emperor Rosell created the twenty-two cards with mystical powers before referring to that Tarot deck. Hmm, I'm not mistaken, am I?"

Philip nodded, recalling his parents' casual conversation, and said, "Indeed, it is said that the deck of cards made by Emperor Roselle, who had seen the Profaned Slate, contained twenty-two divine paths."

Speaking of which, Mr. Fool is surprisingly kind, actually allowing such a casual attitude. Hmm, much better than my previous homeroom teacher. He continued, "Then, I'll choose 'moderation'."

Alger frowned slightly, glanced cryptically at the Fool above, then immediately relaxed and said in a deep voice, "The Hanged Man."

He was afraid of displeasing Mr. Fool.

Because of his prior record, and combined with Miss Justice's actions just now, Philip quickly guessed the reason.

He wondered what Mr. Hanged Man's expression would be if he knew that he had just tried to toy with the gray mist in Mr. Fool's domain. He guessed he would have a hard time keeping it up. As he thought this, he found it hard to smile. As he recalled the events, he keenly sensed that something was wrong.

With such ease, they could manipulate the gray mist to create palaces. How could I not have noticed that my actions just now were like playing with their hair?

So he noticed it, but tacitly accepted it?

Yes, there must be some deeper meaning.

"Alright, that concludes today's gathering." The Fool gently tapped the bronze table, announcing the end of this tarot meeting.

Audrey, who still had a lot to say, felt a little annoyed, but dared not disobey. She could only follow Alger and Philip, bowing her head respectfully and saying, "As you wish."

The crimson light shone again, and a voice tinged with laughter rang out in the final moments, dreamlike and ethereal, making it impossible to discern its location or reality:

"See you next time."

In a hotel in Tingen, Philip covered his forehead, the deep red in his eyes gradually fading, yet he could still vaguely see the strange grayish-white mist through the reality before him.

Are other people like me?

Philip lowered his eyes and shook his head to himself. "No, I just lightly touched the long table, and a few wisps of the grayish-white mist that created the table were controlled by me. It's like... it's like..."

In group chats or various games, those kinds of permissions, yes, the smallest possible permissions!

Philip's mind exploded with understanding. He understood! He had broken free from his misconceptions and understood everything!

Mr. Fool's gray fog space and my own shadow world are probably special realms like some kind of divine kingdom. I guess he or He noticed my shadow world, which is why he did this.

Because Mr. Hanged Man and Ms. Justice were present, He didn't say it explicitly, nor did He deliberately keep me here. Instead, He subtly granted me some minor privileges, the intention being that I could also try it out myself in that shadow world.

Even if it isn't, the general direction should be correct.

Philip slapped his forehead, nearly crying at his own stupidity. He had subconsciously imagined that the other party was completely unaware.

Looking back now, it was probably just a casual reminder that the other party gave on a whim.

Of course, it's also possible that this opportunity is just a smokescreen, a ploy to seize his shadow world or something else, but there's no point in thinking about that right now.

He made a prayer gesture, silently thanked Mr. Fool, then closed his eyes to gather his thoughts, preparing to enter the shadow world he had just entered to verify his ideas.

However, a few dozen seconds later, Philip opened his eyes in a daze, blinked twice, and muttered to himself blankly, "But... how exactly do I get into that place?"

Moreover, that place seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with safety.

The apartment is located on the second floor of "the most affordable apartment in all of Tingen" on the lower street of Iron Cross Street.

Zhou Mingrui slowly sat on the bed, watching the four black dots forming a square on the back of his hand slowly fade and disappear into his body: "So, in the future, I don't need to prepare the main course anymore; I can just focus on the steps and incantations?"

Unfortunately, the fortune-changing ceremony couldn't improve my luck, nor could it take me home. The pain, frustration, and sorrow brewing within Zhou Mingrui's heart, to alleviate, could only continue to think of:

"Well, it does count as starting a group chat for extraordinary individuals, even though I, someone who knows absolutely nothing, am the group admin. Fortunately, it got away with it, but..."

Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!

He recalled the strange situation of Mr. Temperance above the gray fog. It seemed that Mr. Temperance and the gray fog had some connection, at least different from that of Justice and the Hanged Man!

"Perhaps he knows something. But I can't take the risk; the consequences would be unimaginable if I were exposed." Zhou Mingrui clutched his extremely tired brain, determined not to collapse.

"At least, after I study this gray fog space and figure out a way to become an extraordinary one, next Monday, after Miss Justice sends the Ghost Shark Blood to the Hanged Man, I might be able to hear the recipe for the Audience Potion at the party."

"I'll try to probe the relationship between that 'Mr. Temperance' and Gray Mist later," he murmured, with a hint of anticipation, hoping the outcome would be as he wished.

The gray fog space caused by the transfer ceremony, the unidentified members, and the unknown mysterious world that was almost boundless darkness all made Zhou Mingrui want to retreat.

But this is the only hope.

He wants to go home.

Zhou Mingrui shouldn't stay here. He wants to go to Earth, to a place with family, friends, the internet, delicious food, and a true sense of belonging.

"Unfortunately, Zhou Mingrui can't go back right now, so for the time being, I can only be Klein Moretti."

Klein shook his head, preparing to get up and walk to his desk to write down the words he had just heard at the party and study them.

However, the sleeplessness of the previous night and the exhaustion he had just experienced caused his eyelids to droop uncontrollably and close. Even though he gripped the edge of the bed tightly with his fingers, it only caused his body to protest more and more.

Finally, with his last bit of consciousness, he could only let his head fall onto the pillow and fall into a deep sleep.

(End of this chapter)