Chapter 332: Gray Mist

Chapter 332: Gray Mist

In the Northern Continent, within the Rune Kingdom, lies Tingen City of Ahova County.

Klaine Moretti adjusted his hat with his right hand and stepped out of his slightly dilapidated and dim apartment. He was dressed in a black waistcoat and matching formal attire, with tightly fitted pants and a half-high top hat, exuding a subtle scholarly air. His eyes held a hint of vigilance and curiosity.

One wouldn't normally feel vigilant or curious about the environment they've lived in for over twenty years, but this was no ordinary circumstance. The night before, the original Klaine Moretti, obsessed with the history of the Fourth Era, had mysteriously committed suicide by shooting himself after encountering a supernatural event.

The new soul that inhabited his body was a 21st-century youth named Zhou Mingrui, an ordinary office worker. He was the type who would worry about taking sick leave, even for a headache, and would be delighted if he could actually get the time off.

Zhou Mingrui had no idea why he had crossed over. His parents were alive and well, his family was ordinary, he had no childhood sweetheart, no extraordinary experiences, and he hadn't even been hit by a truck. He had simply fallen asleep and found himself in Klaine's body.

What kind of crossing over was this? Dying suddenly while staying up late to watch the World Cup seemed more plausible than this.

He silently cursed under his breath and reached up to touch the spot on his temple.

At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with that area. Only a small patch of skin, slightly lighter in color and resembling a bullet wound, seemed to have grown anew. But just a few hours ago, there had been a hideous wound there, the kind that would have been visible in a mirror.

Zhou Mingrui couldn't shake the feeling that there was something odd about his crossing over. He had never heard of a crossing over that came with a self-repair function...

With a sigh, Zhou Mingrui could only pin his hopes of returning home on the only non-natural element he had encountered before his crossing over. Due to a recent streak of bad luck, he had purchased an old book called "Qin Han Secret Records of Techniques" from a second-hand bookstall and performed a ritual for good luck.

He didn't know if his crossing over was related to this ritual or if repeating it would allow him to return, but for now, it was the only lead he had.

With this thought in mind, Zhou Mingrui tightly clutched the money in his hand and made his way through the streets filled with a mix of unpleasant odors. He was determined to buy the materials needed for the ritual and the food his sister, Melissa, had asked him to purchase.

The streets were livelier than usual. Amidst the hawkers' shouts, the accordion player's melodies, and children's laughter, he also heard many pedestrians and vendors eagerly discussing the strange phenomenon that had occurred late last night.

Zhou Mingrui entered the Slein Bakery and smiled at the elderly Mrs. Slein, who was standing next to the counter. He requested to buy eight pounds of rye bread and engaged in a brief conversation with her about Klaine's post-graduation employment and his brother Benson's marital status.

"Nine pence," Mrs. Slein replied.

"Wasn't it eleven pence the day before yesterday?" Zhou Mingrui asked, somewhat taken aback.

"You should thank the repeal of the Grain Act and those who marched for it," Mrs. Slein said with a smile, spreading her hands.

Zhou Mingrui was slightly surprised. The Grain Act was a regulation on import tariffs, imposing mandatory taxes on imported agricultural products to protect the domestic agricultural industry.

Repealing this act was detrimental to farmers, as it would lower food prices on the surface but force many farm laborers to seek work in the city due to their inability to survive.

This was a theoretical prediction, as the actual impact would vary due to adjustments made by merchants and upper-class nobles, other bills' detailed regulations on different types of crops, and regulations on exported crops from other countries.

However, it was foreseeable that unskilled farm laborers would be forced to compete for low-wage jobs with the majority of residents, leading to a decrease in wages, longer working hours, and higher work efficiency standards. In his era, there was a more fitting term to describe this situation—'involution.'

Since King George III's ascension to the throne, his performance had been unremarkable, and there had been no significant actions from him. Privately, many citizens felt that the king was overly mediocre. What was the intention behind repealing the Grain Act at this time? If it was to appease the lower-class citizens, the slightly lower food prices might not compensate for the harm caused, and the ruler of the Rune Kingdom wasn't elected and didn't need to canvass for votes.

As Zhou Mingrui pondered this, several police officers walked by, one of whom seemed familiar, perhaps a patrol officer from his street.

The police patrols seemed more frequent today...

He thought to himself as he took the rye bread from Mrs. Slein. Then, he heard the gentle old lady ask with a hint of curiosity, "By the way, young Klaine, did you witness the strange celestial phenomenon last night?"

The incident had occurred late at night, and in a small town like Tingen, most people were struggling to make ends meet, working over ten hours a day to survive. Exhausted, they slept deeply, and only a few noticed the phenomenon.

Zhou Mingrui had seen it because he had woken up in pain after his suicide attempt... As he realized this, he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Zhou Mingrui's lips twitched imperceptibly, and he nodded slightly, "I see."

The "Blood Moon," which usually only appeared on the night of a full moon, suddenly emerged, and the crimson moonlight was more intense than usual. Aside from the most eye-catching moonlight, several stars seemed to shine, illuminating the night and casting a thin layer of light on the ground.

Hmm... This could be considered a very rare celestial phenomenon, at least not something you'd see on Earth.

"I heard the boss next door say that the stars in the sky were all shining. Is that true?" Wendy asked curiously.

"No, it's not that exaggerated," Zhou Mingrui replied.

Zhou Mingrui briefly described the situation. In this era, information primarily came from newspapers, magazines, and books, while local news spread by word of mouth, which could lead to inaccuracies. Even with advanced technology, there would still be instances of taking things out of context, clickbait headlines, and marketing accounts designed to attract attention and generate traffic.

People of different social classes and cognitive levels would interpret various events differently. Some believed this was a sight worth capturing in paintings, while others thought it was a collective hallucination, a government conspiracy, or an omen of impending disaster.

Different faiths also led to different interpretations.

Followers of the Goddess of Night emphasized the intensity of the crimson moonlight, considering it a divine sign from their goddess. Believers of the Lord of Storms focused on the twinkling stars, believing their deity had gained greater control over the celestial sea. The most astonishing were the followers of the God of Steam and Machinery, who attempted to scientifically explain the celestial phenomenon.

Zhou Mingrui inwardly scoffed, thinking, "Your gods are the least scientific things out there!"

With a smile, he bid farewell to Mrs. Slein and quickened his pace without drawing attention.

The sudden increase in patrolling officers made him uneasy, especially since Klaine's death was so mysterious, and the phrase "Everyone will die, including me" written in Hermesian script in his notebook.

Hurrying to other markets to gather the necessary materials, Zhou Mingrui, on his way back home, was drawn in by a self-proclaimed "Fortune Teller" offering free readings at the circus.

Although free things are often the most expensive, who could resist a freebie? Zhou Mingrui, thinking, "Since it's free, I might as well believe it a little," cleaned his tarot cards and drew the Fool, eagerly awaiting the fortune teller's interpretation.

Just then, the real fortune teller arrived and explained that the previous "fortune teller" was merely an animal tamer.

Feeling like he had been played by a tamer, Zhou Mingrui left with a frown.

Upon returning home, he locked his bedroom door, took a deep breath, and placed the four staple foods required for the ritual—cheap rye bread he had just purchased—in the four corners of the room. Then, holding his breath and concentrating, he walked a square in a counterclockwise direction.

With the first step, he whispered, "Fusheng Xuanhuang Immortal."

On the second step, he earnestly muttered, "Fusheng Xuanhuang Heavenly Emperor."

On the third step, Zhou Mingrui held his breath and softly spoke, "Fusheng Xuanhuang Supreme Deity."

On the fourth step, he exhaled and silently recited, "Fusheng Xuanhuang Heavenly Sovereign."

As the last word left his mouth, Zhou Mingrui felt the surrounding air stop flowing, becoming thick and eerie. Immediately, a myriad of endless whispers filled his ears.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a gray mist swirling like water, adorned with crimson stars of various sizes, some hidden, and others floating on the surface.

"What the heck is this? What's going on? What should I do?" Zhou Mingrui was stunned, unsure whether to follow the instinct of the undead to move towards the light or satisfy the curiosity of the Yanan hunter by touching the crimson star.

Just then, the gray mist shifted again, and a black star emerged from nothingness, slowly materializing.

The black star pulsated, expanding and contracting, appearing and disappearing. One moment it was bright, and the next, it dimmed, like a signal with poor reception, at risk of disconnecting at any moment.

As the saying goes, "Don't touch what you shouldn't."

Zhou Mingrui, already bewildered by the eerie situation, swallowed hard, silently adding, "But how do you know not to touch it if you don't try?"

This black star looked different from the crimson ones, standing out like an SSR among a bunch of R cards, impossible to resist.

He added, "And it looks like it might disappear at any moment, like a limited-time gacha card, a one-time offer that might never come again."

With this thought, Zhou Mingrui gritted his teeth and reached out. As his finger touched the star's surface, ripples of water emanated from his body, causing a black flame to burst forth, resembling a fantastical firework.

Startled by this sudden anomaly, Zhou Mingrui panicked and hastily withdrew his hand, accidentally touching two other "Crimson" stars. As a result, these two "stars" also burst into brilliance.

...

Lu Ke slowly exhaled and opened his eyes, unsurprisingly finding himself in a space shrouded by gray mist. He nodded slightly at Zhou Mingrui and managed a smile.

"Thanks, I owe you one this time."

Although Zhou Mingrui didn't understand the current situation, he forced himself to remain calm, as if triggered by a manifestation buff in front of others. He pretended that he had only done a trivial task and coolly responded with a light "Hmm."

At the same time, the figures within the two crimson stars took shape. The first was Audrey Hall, daughter of the Brookland-Hall Borough in the capital of the Rune Kingdom, and the second was Aljair Wilson, an Extraordinary Being affiliated with the Storm Church, currently a sailor on the path of Sequence 8, known as the "Furious People."

"Your Excellency, where are we?"

"What do you intend to do?"

The two voices sounded almost simultaneously, and Zhou Mingrui, prepared for this, maintained a smile and spoke in a calm tone, his voice low but not deep, as if responding to a visitor's polite greeting.

"A trial."

Lu Ke couldn't help but chuckle at this gesture, quietly observing the performance and contemplating the feasibility of filming this scene to create a movie for others to enjoy.

"Your Excellency, is the trial over? Can you send us back?"

Audrey asked with a hint of trepidation. This was her first real encounter with an extraordinary event, and although she was excited, she was also concerned about potential harm.

"Of course, if you formally request it, I can send you back at any time."

By now, Zhou Mingrui had gradually figured out the mechanism of the gray mist and his spiritual connection with each crimson star. As long as he severed the connection, the crimson stars would retreat... except for the figure summoned by the first black star.

For some reason, everyone else required his spiritual power to remain in this place, but the figure summoned by the black star didn't seem to have this consumption.

Considering the other person's bizarre appearance, it was as if a drop of blood from some entity had transformed into a human form and truly entered this world shrouded in gray mist.

He glanced at Lu Ke, who stood with his arms crossed, remaining silent after his initial thanks. The mist made it difficult to discern his facial expression.

Assured that Lu Ke would send her back, Audrey quickly let down her guard. She had just turned seventeen and was well-protected by her family. She was filled with curiosity about the world of Extraordinary Beings and, instead of asking to leave, eagerly inquired about the path to becoming one herself.

Feeling that this conversation lacked sophistication, Zhou Mingrui had an idea. Suddenly, the gray mist stirred, and towering stone pillars emerged, supporting a vast dome above.

Amidst the swirling mist, a bronze long table appeared, flanked by ten high-backed chairs on each side, with similar seating at the front and back. The backs of the chairs glowed with brilliance, outlining a strange constellation that didn't correspond to reality.

This awe-inspiring display of power stunned everyone except Lu Ke, and even Zhou Mingrui, who had created it, was amazed.

Aljair was startled and became more formal. As he needed the blood of a ghost shark, a rare extraordinary material, to advance to Sequence 7, he cautiously glanced at Lu Ke before taking the initiative to answer Audrey's question.

The two of them exchanged knowledge about extraordinary traits, leaving Zhou Mingrui in awe. However, he maintained his enigmatic demeanor.

After they finalized their transaction, the lively and outgoing Audrey requested Zhou Mingrui to bear witness. It was then that she realized her impoliteness in not asking the name of the host.

"Your Excellency, how should we address you?"

Aljair also looked over, lowering his eyes as a sign of respect for a powerful being.

Zhou Mingrui hesitated for a moment, then crossed his arms and rested his chin on them.

"You can call me..."

He lowered his voice and slowly pronounced the name of the Major Arcana card that the beast tamer had divined for him not long ago.

"The Fool."

Audrey and Aljair's eyes widened in astonishment. The Fool was the first of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards in the Tarot deck, representing the beginning of all things.

This ancient and profound title perfectly captured their perception of the being before them—powerful, enigmatic, and mysterious! Just then, Lu Ke, who had been silent, stroked his chin and smiled, uttering the second sentence of this Tarot gathering.

"Although it's not impossible to be called that, are you sure you want others to call you a fool?"

Audrey: ...

Aljair: ...

In the face of such a mysterious and powerful entity, this gentleman seemed surprisingly casual and brave.

Zhou Mingrui, seated at the bronze long table, also fell into a strange silence.

Although a bit annoyed, he had to admit that the other man's words made sense! Could he still change his name now?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end