After a second of confirmation, Klein clasped his hands together and leaned forward.
"What exactly is this something?"
"No, I can't say any further." Emlyn White shook his head firmly.
Afraid of being probed, Klein didn't pursue the matter. He simply analyzed the situation based on the information that the vampire had just revealed.
Something to do with The Fool... It can help Emlyn White resolve his problem... Contains a high risk... Combined with his previous ideas, this seems to indicate that he intended to hold an appropriate ritual to pray to The Fool, which is also me, so as to eliminate the psychological cue and gain his long-awaited freedom... However, this is no longer a ritual that Emlyn will be holding himself. It's a result of a particular big shot's instructions, and with this vampire's pride, for him to address the person that way, it most likely means that the person is a powerhouse among the Sanguine... Why would a Sanguine big shot send a descendant to pray to The Fool? Have they started working with the Aurora Order?
Confused, Klein looked up at the expectant Emlyn and scoffed to himself.
Try guessing if I'll respond to your prayers.
He hesitated for two seconds and didn't make a suggestion. Instead, he said, "Statistically speaking, when praying to a hidden existence without understanding the situation, 30 out of 100 cases would not receive any response. 68 cases will end up encountering all sorts of terrible things and cause them to lose their lives, or live a life worse than death. Only two cases have the possibility of success, allowing them to get what they want, but the price they pay might not be what they want."
As a former keyboard warrior, Klein had always believed that when it came to proving something or reinforcing a point of view, anyone who just gave an example, an exception, without mentioning the entire sample and overall statistics was being an asshole. It was merely a trick of concept, and in these cases, there were usually similar companion words, such as "I have a friend," "a girl I know," or "someone around me."
Therefore, to convince Emlyn White, he deliberately fabricated some data.
Of course, this wasn't entirely baseless. At least, many of the files which Klein had read while he was a member of a Nighthawks team had described similar situations.
"Only two cases of success? Problems happen to 68 cases?" Startled, Emlyn couldn't help but lift his hand to smooth his hair.
"Basically, that is the level of danger over the matter you're going to do. If you have malicious intentions, the risk is even higher than this," Klein replied sincerely.
Emlyn shook his head subconsciously.
"No, there's no malice. B-besides, the big shot will protect me in the process."
No malice? Uh, even if you have malice, you might not know since you're just cannon fodder who has been pushed to the front lines... Klein raised his right palm and strengthened his tone with a gesture.
"This will reduce the risk by a lot, but it definitely won't reduce it to zero. Does that big shot really have the means to resist a hidden existence?"
"... Probably, not," Emlyn answered haltingly.
"So." Klein spread his hands.
He suddenly revealed a smile and said, "Emlyn, there is no need for you to take this risk. Even if you completely believe in Earth Mother, it will not affect your life in any way. Look at the citizens of Feynapotter; don't they eat, dress, and do whatever they want? When the time comes, there's a high chance that Father Utravsky will no longer force you to do volunteer work at the Harvest Church. You will regain your original freedom.
"Furthermore, I believe that you have adapted well to the teachings of Earth Mother without any contradictions."
Emlyn White remained silent for a while and said, "Being a believer because I like ‘Her' beliefs is completely different from being forcefully turned into a believer through a psychological cue. Even if I do abandon the moon one day and believe in Earth Mother, I also hope that it is a choice that I freely made. It has nothing to do with others; this is the last pride of a Sanguine."
Klein looked at Emlyn with some surprise. He hadn't expected him to be so insistent.
He considered for two seconds and didn't try to persuade him again by giving a terse acknowledgment.
"The problem is actually very simple, that is, do you have the courage to face a certain degree of danger because of the orders of the big shot and the temptation to get rid of the cue. If you're willing to sacrifice your life for this, then the answer is extremely simple.
"In short, this matter will ultimately be left to you to decide."
Emlyn listened with a heavy expression, and he instinctively retorted, "If I really choose to make the attempt, it's definitely not for myself, but for all Sanguine! Resolving this problem is just an additional perk!"
For all Sanguine? What matter of mine involves all Sanguine? That big shot was lying to you, right? Klein sneered.
"Do you believe that a weak vampire has the chance to save an entire race?"
"Sanguine, Sanguine!" Emlyn emphasized. "Moreover, my strength isn't bad either. It's equivalent to Sequence 7 of you humans. By the way, it's the kind that specializes in combat!
"As for whether you believe it or not, you wouldn't understand." He stood up and said, "Although your analysis and suggestions are meaningless, I still have to thank you. Uh, the consultation fee will be deducted from the previous suitcase and tin box."
"Huh?" Klein wasn't able to react for a moment to what he was talking about.
It was only when Emlyn had left that he suddenly realized what he meant.
Aren't the vessels in large transactions usually free?
That petty and stingy vampire!
...
In the darkness, in which the frequency of lightning had yet to resume, the exploratory team from the City of Silver "punctually" arrived at the periphery of the abandoned temple.
Derrick remembered that during their first operation, all the animal hide lanterns had been extinguished here. The entire team fell into pure darkness, and he had also heard the creepy "cry for help" coming from the depths of the temple.
According to the conjectures from Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice, this might be the starting point for our repeated cycles. But why would we wake up in the campsite outside the city and not directly here? Remembering the discussion at the Tarot meeting, Derrick raised his arm and prayed secretly, as suggested.
A pure light suddenly burst out from his body, causing Joshua and the other members of the exploratory team to quickly assume battle positions.
"What happened?" Demon Hunter Colin drew his sword and asked in a deep voice.
Derrick looked left and right in "horror" and said, "Your Excellency, I just heard a child crying ‘save me... save me...'"
He wanted to test if this was a key point!
"And now?" Colin asked warily.
"I don't hear it anymore." Derrick listened carefully.
Demon Hunter Colin glanced at Joshua and the others from the corner of his eye. "Did any of you hear it?"
"No." The exploratory team members shook their heads.
After pondering for a few seconds, Colin came to a decision. He took out a dark blue metal bottle from the secret compartment in his belt and smeared the colorless, viscous liquid on his sword.
Then, he stabbed upwards with his sword.
Suddenly, the sky lit up. Streaks of silver, snake-like beams started to surge upwards, quickly spreading in all directions.
The silver-white light instantly enveloped all the members of the exploratory team, as if illuminating the darkest "corner" of every single one of them.
With a sizzling sound, the silver serpents drilled into the void, heading off into the unknown.
Everything calmed down very quickly, leaving only the dim light of the animal hide lanterns scattered in silence.
Colin narrowed his eyes, whatever he attempted had sensed something unknown. After a full five seconds, he raised his hand and pointed forward.
"From now on, we can't afford to be careless. We have to be on full alert."
Such familiar words... This isn't the key to breaking out of this predicament...Derrick calmed his heart and followed the team into the half-deserted temple without any delay.
This time, he learned his lesson and didn't look at the face of the Fallen Creator. In the process of inspecting the ground, he managed to get himself to investigate the area where the mural was by being proactive.
He held onto the animal hide lantern and the Axe of Hurricane in his hands as he and one of his teammates began to take action as a small team.
He finally reached his destination after passing through a series of mottled and crumbling walls.
As the light from the animal hide lantern grew closer, the mural on the wall gradually became clearer.
Derrick first looked towards the corner and found the strange, memorable line of words.
Rose Redemption... he silently chanted the name, raised the animal hide lantern, and carefully examined the details of the mural.
On the highest area of the mottled wall was a huge, blurry, pitch-black cross. A shadow that was difficult to discern was hanging upside down on it.
Against such a backdrop, there was a desolate plain.
In the plains, there was a long line of people. Their destination was a distant mountain—the cross on top of the mountain, and the figure hanging upside down.
Within the line, some of the people were kneeling on the ground, praying devoutly. Others had already stood up and were walking forward while facing a raging wind.
Their faces were simple sketches, as though it was trying to highlight their tattered clothing. Only the leader at the front was relatively clearer.
It was a tall and thin man with long, silver hair reaching his back.
This man had soft facial features; his head was lowered, and his eyes were tightly shut. There were layers upon layers of wings of light on his back.
Angel! A legendary angel! Derrick observed the situation around the leader with excitement.
Soon, he discovered a meandering, rippling river beneath the feet of the seemingly angelic man.
The river kept twisting and turning, and it led back into itself, becoming the source!
A cycle! This creates a cycle! Derrick felt that he had caught on to something important.
In the cycles of experiences, there was actually a circular river in the mural on the wall!
The latter was obviously hinting or revealing something!
Derrick looked up and saw the silver-haired angel with an uncountable number of wings. There was a touch of indifference in the gentleness of his face, as though he was looking down at a river, looking down at fate.
Is this the true meaning behind Mr. Fool's hint? Derrick thought for a moment and decided to give it a try—if he succeeded, he planned on blaming all his anomalies on the boy, Jack. If he failed, no one would remember what he had done!
Under the stunned gaze of his teammates, Derrick raised the Axe of Hurricane and viciously slashed at the river in the mural.
The lightning that had just flashed by was triggered, and the silver light fell onto the axe.
