"June 27th. My plan failed before it even began."
"The reason it failed was that someone leaked information in advance. Three Angels from different Churches came straight to my door and blocked me in. They believed my actions disrupted social stability and made me a cancer to the world—so they wanted to eliminate me!"
"I was honestly amused. What's the use of a 'stable' society where a minority is happy while the majority lives in despair? The more people suffer oppression and hopelessness, the easier it is for negative emotions to accumulate, and the easier it is for everyone to be pushed toward extremes. Over time, that will inevitably become fertile ground for Evil Gods to breed—the perfect cradle for the Apocalypse, the dagger humanity and the gods themselves will face when doomsday arrives!"
"I don't know whether those idiots failed to realise this, or whether they realised it but were simply too lazy to change anything. Understandable, I suppose—you'd need incredibly high awareness to willingly rip open a hole in your own plate."
...
Klein frowned slightly.
He could understand oppression and despair breeding Evil Gods—that matched Emperor Roselle's earlier insights as well.
But why…would it be tied to the Apocalypse?
Tsk…
The biggest confusion right now was what exactly "the Apocalypse" referred to.
Was it something inevitable and unstoppable like the biblical Great Flood?
Or something else entirely?
...
"June 28th. I got caught by an Angel of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. Then I watched myself being erased like a line rubbed out with an eraser—only to suddenly find myself in an empty, mist-filled town."
...
Erased by an eraser?
A misty town?!
Wasn't that exactly Klein's experience from just two days ago?
...
"When I realised I wasn't dead, I basically understood—this was the Evernight Goddess warning me. Warning me not to mess around again."
"Sometimes I'm really curious about this Evernight Goddess. On one hand, She's absolutely the type who would be the mastermind final boss if dropped into another world—scheming, ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve Her goals, a textbook 'werewolf.' But on the other hand, She's not completely evil either. At least when I danced on the edge of Her bottom line several times, She let me off—probably because we're from the same 'hometown'."
"Of course, maybe I'm overthinking it. Maybe She didn't kill me simply because She still found me useful. That's why I always warn people: beware the Evernight Goddess! Beware the Evernight Goddess! That woman never does unprofitable business! Most things She does have a clear purpose."
"As the old saying goes: 'The gifts of fate have long been marked with a hidden price.' Maybe it looks like you're benefitting in the short term, but what the Evernight Goddess has Her eye on might be the future you."
"I wandered around the misty town for a while and quickly found a way out. I walked into the church and saw the statue of the former 'Mother of the Sky.' A blurry scene in my mind suddenly became clear—wasn't this the same picture I saw during my divination about the Apocalypse? Then the name I saw that time should be at the base of the statue…but there was nothing there."
"In that instant, I understood everything. So—I picked up a stone and carved five words at the base of the statue: 'Hello, Zhou Mingrui.'"
...
Klein was completely stunned.
Not just because he now knew who carved his name in the Foggy Town.
Not just because he was the "saviour" foretold in the predecessor's divination.
But because of something far more earth-shaking:
The Evernight Goddess was…a "fellow countryman"?
If Klein understood correctly, "fellow countryman" here meant—
A fellow transmigrator.
The Evernight Goddess was also a transmigrator?!
A wave of realisation washed over him.
He suddenly understood why he had inexplicably become a Blessed of the Goddess. Why the Goddess valued him so much.
If they were both transmigrators, both from the same "homeland," everything made sense.
Of course—some of it might also relate to him being the supposed "saviour."
Klein felt an absurd, almost comical emotion rising in him:
There are way too many transmigrators in this world…
At this rate, you could make a movie called "Transmigrators, Assemble."
After handing the diary pages to Mr. Fool, Emlyn had been sneaking glances anxiously.
He was currently busy "doing big things" in the Southern Continent, and naturally had no time or energy to collect Roselle's diaries.
These two pages had been given to him by Ancestor Lilith.
He didn't know what was written in them.
But judging from the meaningful smile on Ancestor Lilith's face at the time…
He had a bad feeling.
What if Mr. Fool gets angry after reading it and casually slaps me to death?
I'm innocent…
Xio, having already learned the structure of the Tarot Club from Fors, behaved obediently.
Leonard, meanwhile, had begun a new round of searching: Maybe one of Edward or Klein disguised himself as a woman to enter the Tarot Club—that's why he can't find the other one!
So which woman could it be?
Miss Judgment was too newly joined and clearly not.
Miss Justice had the natural grace and mannerisms of a noble lady—highly unlikely.
The two children obviously weren't candidates.
That left only Miss Magician and Miss Strength.
Just as Leonard's gaze drifted back and forth between the two, Miss Strength suddenly cast him a faint sideways look. Leonard's heart trembled instantly, and he lowered his head uncontrollably.
He knew that kind of gaze very well—
The unmistakable aura of a high-ranking, high-Sequence powerhouse.
I worked this hard just to reach Sequence 6. No matter how capable Edward and Klein are, they're at best Sequence 5 right now…so they absolutely cannot be this Miss Strength.
Which meant there was only one truth—
Miss Magician!
Yes! Klein was a Seer, and the Sequence 7 of the Seer pathway was the Magician. After reaching Sequence 6, a Faceless could alter their appearance at will.
Everything lined up!
And earlier, when the gathering started, Miss Magician had seemed to glance at him a few times—Was it because she had recognised his identity?
Meanwhile, Fors was thinking: Why is this new member, 'Mr. Star' staring at me the whole time? And muttering who-knows-what under his breath? Is there something wrong with his brain?
Uh…Mr. Fool wouldn't let a fool into the Tarot Club, right…?
Probably?
At this moment, Mr. Fool paid no attention whatsoever to the chaotic misunderstandings below.
All his focus was on the diary.
He turned to the second page and continued reading:
"June 29th. Finally left the Misty Town. Time to start planning for the future!"
"To be honest, the idea of resisting the Apocalypse didn't come from some noble awareness of mine. It was simply that I finally reached demigod and gained a long lifespan—I didn't want to suddenly die halfway because of some doomsday."
"Back then, I thought that because I was a transmigrator, I was special. I thought I was the protagonist, so it felt 'natural' to shoulder the burden of saving the world. Thinking back…that was pretty clownish of me."
"I worked so hard to save the world, only for the world to slap me in the face and say: 'Get lost. The real saviour isn't here yet—you're not worthy!' Just like Roger from One Piece, who went through countless hardships to reach Laugh Tale, only to find a sign saying: 'No entry unless you are Sun God Luffy.' Ridiculous."
"Since that's the case, what I need to do next is simply live well. May that unlucky guy named Zhou Mingrui truly save the world."
...
The predecessor's diary was filled with self-mockery and humour, but Klein couldn't laugh at all—
Because he was the "unlucky guy."
I'm only Sequence 5.
I'm still terrified of stopping a scumbag like George III from becoming Sequence 0, and now you expect me to save the world?!
No. I'm the one who's not worthy!
If he weren't currently at the Tarot Gathering, with so many eyes on him, Klein would have collapsed into his chair, refusing to move.
Suppressing his turmoil, he exhaled softly and read the final portion:
"June 30th. After careful consideration, I entered the grey fog one last time and gave it a proper farewell."
"Then I gathered everything—everything about the grey fog, about the Apocalypse, about transmigration, about the secrets of this world—my years of knowledge and gains, and placed them as a gift within the deepest layer of the grey-white fog."
"My juniors—if you one day read my diary and can enter the grey fog, then please advance to Sequence 4 as soon as possible. Step onto that staircase of light. Enter the depths. I left everything there."
"If fate allows, we shall meet again."
...
Klein leaned back slightly and closed his eyes, unable to calm his heart for a long time.
He certainly knew that in the depths of this mysterious space, there existed a towering staircase of light, like something out of heaven, faintly corresponding to his Sequence. The staircase was as if built for giants, leading to a floating layer of grey-white fog that seemed to be bearing something unseen.
Each time he advanced, he could climb one or two more steps.
By his previous estimation, once he reached Sequence 4, he would be able to ascend every step and enter the deepest layer of grey fog.
So…all the secrets can only be known once I reach Sequence 4?
He couldn't help remembering the transmigrator girl he had met on Symeem Island—she, too, had told him to advance to Sequence 4 to learn everything.
But why did it have to be Sequence 4?
Was it because that was the threshold of being half-human, half-divine?
Despite his countless questions, he had to admit, in that moment, Klein's desire to reach Sequence 4 surged to its peak.
The acting method, materials, and rituals—
Each was more troublesome than the last.
———
Meanwhile, at an Inn
At the same time as the Tarot Gathering, a faint trace of nearly invisible gray-white fog drifted out of the washroom, floating quietly into the Traveler marionette stationed at the door.
Its previously empty, lifeless eyes suddenly gained a spark of light.
Moments later, it rose slowly, walked to the window, opened the curtains, and glanced at the street outside.
Then it turned—and saw the wardrobe mirror nearby.
In the reflection appeared the face of a man in his thirties with a short beard, around 1.8 meters tall, reasonably handsome.
If Bernadette were here, she would immediately recognise him—
Mr. Sparrow
—Edward's long-lost split body.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.