Chapter 342: The Magician

Chapter 342: The Magician

As the sun slowly rose in the morning, Parrot, as usual, gently knocked on the door next door.

Receiving no response, he took out his spare key to open the door, changed into his slippers, donned his apron, and entered the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.

A faint steam and curling smoke filled the air as Parrot skillfully handled the ingredients. Today's breakfast consisted of a hearty beef stew, a succulent rack of lamb grilled to perfection, and crispy fried shrimp coated in a light batter.

This was a heavy, greasy meal, not suitable for breakfast, but as long as the eater enjoyed it, it wasn't a problem.

...

Luke opened his eyes, feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep. His nearly depleted spirituality had completely recovered.

He lingered in bed for five minutes before finally getting up, lured by the enticing aroma of food. Dressing himself, he walked leisurely into the living room, where Parrot had already prepared the meal and was diligently scrubbing bloodstains off the floor with a basin of water.

After breakfast, Luke prepared to go out for a stroll. He remembered there was a circus stationed near the town square, so he could go and watch the performance.

After all, he was now a "magician" himself.

Everyone had their own interpretation of the core principles of playing a role, and Klein's summary of the Magician stage could only serve as a reference. It was still better to deduce and understand the role independently.

Luke silently estimated his digestion process, relying solely on the ability to digest extraordinary traits granted by the main body. He expected it to take a month or even more.

This was already incredibly fast, but he still craved more.

The main body was being pursued, and if it wasn't for the "Primordial Hunger" being mindless, with many planets serving as "snacks" along the way to distract it, it might not even have the time to respond to him.

The mistakes in yesterday's ritual were likely due to his own lack of rigor and the main body focusing all its energy on escape, leaving no room for attention to detail.

He silently vowed to kill that brainless glutton who only knew how to eat!

Luke set himself a goal and changed into formal attire, donning a top hat, cane, watch chain, pocket watch, and leather wallet. He looked like a proper gentleman from the outside.

The gas lanterns on the streets still had a faint, weak glow in the morning light, and the streets were already bustling with activity. Hawkers' voices rose and fell, each vendor shouting to promote their goods, claiming they were "value for money."

The smells on the street became chaotic, with the fragrance of bread, the pungent scent of fish, the various fruits and vegetables, the faint stench from the sewers, and the unpleasant odors of untidy beggars and vagrants.

Luke wandered through the crowd and arrived at the town square, where the circus had set up their tent.

The circus prepared three performances daily—at 8 a.m., 2 p.m., and 8 p.m. Most residents only had time to watch the show in the evening, so the night performances were the most popular and expensive. The daytime shows had fewer acts and were less elaborate, but the prices were also significantly cheaper.

At the entrance stood a clown in bright, colorful clothing, his face painted with vibrant colors, maintaining a comical smile. He juggled a set of balloons with one hand while swapping two small balls back and forth with the other, showcasing his nimble hands.

"Sir, buy a ticket!" the clown enthusiastically invited. "I guarantee you'll get your money's worth!"

"How much is it?" Luke asked.

"Just 1 soler during the day," the clown replied.

"Are there any magician performances?"

"Rest assured, sir, we have not only magicians but also animal trainers!" the clown answered with humor and cheer.

Luke couldn't help but chuckle for a moment, amused by the clown's response. He bought a ticket and entered the circus.

The tent wasn't too small, and various performance stations were scattered throughout. Indeed, the circus offered a rich variety of acts, including fortune tellers, clowns, magicians, animal trainers, tightrope walkers, acrobats, and high-wire artists...

However, some stations were not yet open, as they required more elaborate preparation and could only recoup their costs during the night performances.

Inside the tent, there were quite a few children. Some of them behaved normally, playing and laughing with their parents. These were residents who took advantage of the cheaper prices on Monday to bring their children for some fun.

Another group of children had skinny, yellowed skin, looking emaciated as if their nutrients had been sapped away, leaving them like sponges. Only their curious eyes and expectant expressions matched their age.

These were apprentices recruited by the circus. Some vagrants with no money to survive would send their children as apprentices to do simple tasks. Although they couldn't eat their fill or stay warm, at least they could survive. If they managed to learn some skills and become official clowns or magicians, it would be a means of livelihood. If not, they could still resort to stealing to get by.

Luke arrived at the front of the stage where the magician was about to perform and casually found a seat.

Under the sunlight, the circus tent's top had a copper-rusted glow, and a young magician, dressed in an opaque black vest and draped in a cloak, gracefully took the stage, bowing deeply to the audience.

On the makeshift stage, he removed his top hat and showed the audience that there was nothing inside. Then, he clenched and crumpled the hat, demonstrating that there were no hidden mechanisms.

With a flick of his wrist, a deck of playing cards appeared in his hand as if by magic. The magician calmly tossed the cards into the air, instantly capturing the attention of the entire audience with the flurry of flying cards.

Just then, the magician tapped his top hat, and four pigeons, without any warning, flew out, trained to catch four playing cards in their beaks and return them to the magician's shoulders and hat.

The magician retrieved the cards from the pigeons' beaks and spread them out, revealing four suits of the same card. He breathed onto his hat, and the four pigeons obediently flew back inside.

Then, with a serious expression, he stomped his foot hard to ensure the floor was solid. He placed the hat with the pigeons upside down on the ground and stomped on it with force!

"Ah—"

Some children in the audience cried out in surprise, and some ladies closed their eyes, perhaps still expecting a trap in the floor, but the magician's movements were too swift. He had barely placed the hat down before stomping on it, leaving no time for any tricks.

The moment his shoe hit the ground, a dull sound and rapid, bird-like cries of distress filled the air. The magician's face turned sorrowful, and he heavily reached for the hat.

He exhaled, lifted a corner of the hat, and covered his eyes, his expression filled with sadness and reluctance to look. Then, he repeated this action several times.

The audience below couldn't wait to see the outcome, and even Luke couldn't help but mutter to himself. It was like a variety show from a past life, dragging on as the magician finally flipped the hat open with a swift motion.

Nothing!

A wave of astonished gasps and cheers rippled through the crowd, followed by a flood of praise for the magician's exceptional skills.

The magician gracefully bowed and slowly retreated, making way for the clown with the balancing balls and the ventriloquist to take the stage.

As the audience laughed at the clown's deliberate fall, Luke pondered the previous performance.

Even without mentioning the "Magician's" extraordinary trait, this level of magic seemed rather crude to Luke. Still, the magician managed to showcase the essence of magic quite well.

His sleight of hand wasn't particularly impressive, but his acting skills were commendable. His facial expressions were perfectly controlled, allowing him to manipulate the audience's emotions at the right moments, creating a true "performance" rather than a mere display of dexterity.

All his tricks were achieved by diverting the audience's attention, such as tossing the playing cards into the air or making exaggerated expressions. These actions were designed to facilitate card switching and the transfer of pigeons.

The true art of magic lies in concealing one's intentions, silently achieving one's goals, and evoking emotions from the audience.

Luke felt the digestion of the magic potion accelerate slightly, and he nodded. He needed to prepare for a grand magic show to fully digest the "Magician."

It would be a bit risky... It would require high-sequence spectators or a large audience... It would be ideal to manipulate the audience's emotions and even obtain Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 extraordinary materials.

Where could he find such a stage at this stage? Luke pondered this while casually watching the other performances. Although they didn't seem particularly interesting at the moment, searching for the performers' flaws was a way to pass the time.

At 11 a.m., the circus show came to an end.

Luke exited the tent with the crowd and strolled through the streets, buying some cakes, sweet iced tea, and cherry pies from street vendors to bring back for his cat.

It was Monday, and none of the three residents of 2 Olleander Street were home. Benson and Kline were at work, and Melissa wouldn't return until evening. Luke gave the food to Parrot, asking him to wait for Moretti to return and deliver it.

After lunch, Luke read the Tinggen City's "Honest Man Newspaper," which reported on new train services in some areas, the continued economic growth in certain regions, further reductions in poverty, and the improved air pollution in Barkeland.

The latest news is that the sixth volume of the book series is now available for purchase!

Luke scanned the newspaper, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't entirely honest. Finally, he tossed it aside and lay down on the bed.

"Is it time yet?"

...

Black Thorn Security Company.

In the office for administrative staff, Kline stood up, checking the time, and headed towards the washroom.

He locked the door, walked four steps backwards, and stepped out of a square, silently reciting the corresponding Chinese honorifics in his mind, repeating the experience of the first time, only without preparing the main course.

Suddenly, the air around him seemed to stop flowing, becoming viscous and eerie. Then, various endless whispers filled Kline's ears.

...

Above the Huiwu Zhi Shang, within a grand and imposing palace, an ancient bronze table stood, its surface mottled with age.

Three figures slowly materialized above the bronze table. The figure at the top, shrouded in thick gray mist, leaned back, hands resting flat on the edge of the table.

Aurelia, tall and with smooth blonde hair, spoke in a light-hearted tone.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"

She turned around and, with the same tone, said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man, Emperor~"

Luke nodded slightly to her as a gesture of acknowledgment, and the Hanged Man beside him did the same.

After the greetings, Aurelia eagerly asked if Algy had received the blood of the ghost shark. Upon receiving an affirmative response, she breathed a sigh of relief. Algy, true to his word, shared the recipe for the Sequence 9 "Spectator" magic potion with her.

Kline, at the top, quietly opened the spiritual vision he had just learned not long ago, a technique for observing auras to gather information. He scanned each person one by one.

Miss "Justice" was an ordinary person; her aura was red where it should be red and purple where it should be purple, indicating a lively, cheerful, and healthy young girl.

Mr. "Hanged Man"'s aura was also normal, but his emotions were calm and thoughtful, represented by the color blue. However, the innermost layer of his aura had unified, indicating that he was a Unique, a powerful Unique! At the very least, he was stronger than Kline and Old Neill, Kline silently concluded.

As for his mysterious acquaintance, Kline had initially thought he was a Sequence 6 or higher, but the man claimed to be a Sequence 8 Thief.

According to official records, the Thief's Path was weak in the early stages. At least Sequence 9 and Sequence 8 were very weak, probably weaker than Algy.

Kline turned his expectant gaze to the last person, the powerful Unique who had appeared in the mysterious black starry sky, seemingly capable of freely leaving the gray mist.

His aura was also normal, but the color was unusually deep, indicating that his health was far beyond that of ordinary people, and his life force was exceptionally strong. Outside his aura, a faint golden light emanated, carrying a sense of balance and harmony. Looking at it made one's heart gradually become calm and peaceful.

This feeling inexplicably reminded Kline, who had been a keyboard warrior in his past life, knowledgeable in various fields but not an expert in any, of a term.

A Qi cultivator!

And one who followed the orthodox path of the Xuanmen, a true inheritor of a prestigious lineage!

"Tsk... How could there be elements of cultivation in a Victorian-style alternate world? It's as absurd as having a Faded One appear in Taiwu's Scroll."

Kline shook his head with a wry smile, dismissing his strange thoughts.

In any case, he could only guess that Mr. "Emperor" was a powerful Unique!

"Do you know how to meditate?"

Algy, who had successfully advanced to Sequence 7, took charge of the after-sales service, instructing Aurelia on the precautions to take after consuming the magic potion.

"I don't know what kind of meditation you're familiar with, but let me describe it... After taking the magic potion, start meditating as soon as possible to control your spiritual energy and power... You must practice daily to truly master the power of the potion and uncover its symbolic significance and more mysteries. Only then can you minimize the risk of losing control. The key to the potion's symbolic significance lies in its 'name,' such as 'Spectator'!"

Aurelia nodded vigorously, trying to commit Algy's words to memory.

Hearing this, Kline's heart stirred, and he was about to lightly knock on the table to interject.

Mr. "Emperor," who had not participated in their conversation, noticed that the Fool seemed about to raise his hand. Suddenly, he coughed lightly and spoke at a steady pace.

"It's not about mastering, but digesting."

"It's not about uncovering, but playing."

"The name of the magic potion is not just symbolic but also an image, and it's the key to digestion."

Aurelia, who had just entered the Unique world, didn't quite understand, while Algy, from the Storm Lord Church, was stunned. He experienced a mental breakthrough, his face filled with excitement as he realized the truth. Even his gaze towards Luke seemed to have changed.

Kline was taken aback.

No, those were my words!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end