In the North District, inside the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Backlund Medical College's Affiliated Hospital.
Klein, who had brought Sharron for a prenatal checkup, happened to "run into" the birth of Doctor Allen's child, so he came over to offer his congratulations.
During this process, Klein turned his face toward the crib and asked with a smile:
"You seem to dislike my arrival?"
As he spoke, Allen and his wife, along with the nurses and doctors in the ward, showed no abnormalities at all, as if they were still conversing with Dwayne Dantès.
Within the illusionary scene Klein had created, the exchange had not stopped!
The newly born Will Auceptin snorted at this, and said in a child's tender voice:
"Not a bit of sincerity at all… you're not even as good as that 'Tower' under you…
"He even brought me a serving of ice cream when he came just now."
Mr. "Tower" has already been here? Klein had long expected this, so he wasn't surprised, and instead said:
"I brought you some good news—consider it a gift…
"Mm, Ouroboros was injured by someone. For a period of time, he probably won't be able to continue looking for you."
He didn't know that Ebner later joined forces with Mr. Azik and Bernadette to use the "Three Artifacts" to take away one of Ouroboros's Sequence 1 characteristics. He only thought that the "Great Snake" had been injured by Adam, so he didn't dare mention His name or title, nor did he think about Him too much, fearing that the "Son of God" might notice and thus discover the whereabouts of the "Snake of Fate," Will Auceptin.
Will Auceptin fell silent for a moment, then said with schadenfreude:
"So that big idiot snake got sold out too… tsk tsk, when he came by just now, he didn't tell me anything at all…"
"Sold out too"? What's going on? Could there be more to Ouroboros's situation? Klein's heart stirred and he wanted to ask further, but at that moment he suddenly heard Will Auceptin mutter:
"Ah, I suddenly feel like drinking 'Guadal,' preferably with some ice."
Hearing this, Klein immediately knew that Will didn't want to talk about it, so he replied with a serious face:
"That kind of beverage isn't very good for a newborn baby."
Will Auceptin·Ceres glared at him, then glanced at Sharron, who was chatting with His mother Wilma at the side, and said in a child's uniquely clear voice:
"Although the problem on that 'Marionette' was resolved by you, it's still possible that some issues were left behind…
"You need to pay attention to your future first child. The problem will most likely appear on her."
My and Sharron's… first child? Klein's mouth slowly opened. He was stunned for quite a while before asking in a deep voice:
"I'm certain the 'corruption' was completely cleared…
"Where exactly is the problem coming from?"
Will thought for a moment, his small face scrunching up as he said:
"I only know that the source of that corruption underwent a mutation recently—that is, in the period shortly before you took action to clear it… Even the nature of its power changed quite a bit.
"And after clearing the corruption, you were a little too hasty…"
"But as for what exactly changed and what the problem is, I can't 'see' it clearly either."
Hearing this, Klein frowned slightly, relying on the "Clown" ability to prevent too much change from showing on his face.
After a moment, he solemnly nodded and said:
"Thank you for the warning… I understand."
At this point, Klein finally remembered the real purpose of this visit. After slightly adjusting his emotions, he said:
"I've brought a method that allows you to temporarily recover a certain amount of power during your weak period.
"You can give me one drop of umbilical cord blood now."
Will Auceptin spread his chubby palm and said:
"Let me take a look first."
"How did you know that method was an item?" Klein asked, not exactly surprised, but rather curious.
Will Auceptin snorted:
"Intuition of fate."
That's basically saying nothing…
Muttering inwardly, Klein handed over the item that had been sacrificed by Miss "Hermit."
The object looked like the head of a staff. Embedded into it were elongated transparent gemstones, engraved with one complex, mysterious, and difficult-to-describe three-dimensional symbol and magical marking after another.
The baby struggled to grip it, glanced at it twice, and raised his voice:
"This can only be used once!"
"Yes, only once. Is there a problem?" Klein said carefully. "With your level and abilities, you could completely replicate the symbols and magical markings on it, prepare the corresponding materials, and conduct the correct ritual. Wouldn't that allow you to use it multiple times?"
Will Auceptin suddenly interrupted him:
"Alright, I accept.
"Remember—those words just now were said by you yourself!"
…Klein was momentarily a little stunned, yet he also seemed to understand something, vaguely feeling that although he had clearly come here to take advantage of the situation, he somehow ended up being taken advantage of by a baby instead.
"Yes, I said them," he finally said after taking a breath, nodding sincerely.
A smile immediately bloomed on the baby's wrinkled face as he spread out his other hand:
"I already prepared it for you.
"Two drops in total—one drop is the item used for the transaction, and one drop is your reward for facilitating the deal."
There's even a reward? Klein was pleasantly surprised and quickly looked toward Will Auceptin's palm.
There were two drops of silvery blood there. Within each drop seemed to be countless tiny, transcendent, illusory wheels spinning. They connected into a long band, with the head and tail almost touching.
Just from a single glance, Klein felt as if he had lost the ability to think, with all thoughts endlessly repeating themselves.
He hurriedly shook his head, took out the metal cigarette case that held Azik's copper whistle, and placed the two clearly sealed and treated drops of "Snake of Fate" blood into it.
"Thank you for your generosity," Klein said sincerely, then asked, "Can this be used to make talismans?"
The baby sucked on his finger again and said:
"Of course it can.
"The specific symbols to engrave are the ones you just saw. You can freely choose and combine some of them. What effect comes out will depend entirely on your luck."
Klein nodded, then asked again:
"Then who should I pray to?
"You shouldn't be able to respond to rituals of such a high level for now, and praying to Ouroboros would be equivalent to provocation…
"Could it be directed at a Sequence 2 angel of the 'Fate' pathway? But I don't know the honorific name."
Will immediately grinned and said:
"You have two choices."
"One is the 'Empress of Calamity and Fear.'
"One is the 'Goddess's Hymn.'"
The Empress of Calamity and Fear… isn't that the Goddess? That makes sense—calamity includes misfortune, which is part of fate. The Goddess has the corresponding authority, so she can naturally respond.
And the Goddess's Hymn… I've seen this title in Roselle's diary. It seems to have been Liu Bo's title during his time as the "God of Luck," right?
One is "misfortune," one is "luck." Presumably, they would influence the final effect of the finished product…
Klein nodded thoughtfully. Then he looked again at the little fellow wrapped in silver silk and smiled:
"Now that you've been born, you should be able to fold paper cranes. That way, I won't need to visit so often—you know, that easily arouses suspicion."
Will Ceres struggled to lift his tiny arm without answering, but the meaning was obvious: Please, I was just born!
But Klein did not retreat in the slightest. He took a sheet of fairly good-quality white paper from nearby and placed it on the crib.
Then, from who knows where, he "produced" a box bearing the trademark of "Witch Cuisine." He bent down and used a silver spoon to scoop out a bit of ice cream from it.
"All gifts of fate have already been secretly marked with their prices, haven't they?" Klein chuckled softly as he moved the silver spoon in his hand.
Lying in the crib, Will frowned, his just-born face still wrinkled, and muttered:
"For Beyonders of the 'Fate' pathway, it's always paying the items on the price list first, and only then waiting for the gift."
Despite saying this, He still grabbed the white paper. His movements were somewhat difficult, and he even seemed on the verge of tears as he folded a paper crane.
Klein examined the paper crane for a while before accepting it with satisfaction, but inwardly he still helplessly mocked himself:
"Even a baby folds better than I do…"
...
At noon on Monday, in Intis, after just finishing a discussion about work with Helene, Ebner walked out of the film company's lounge and took a single step back to his luxurious mansion in Trier.
Speaking of which, a large part of the reason he had come to the Intis branch this time was still to help Klein. Among the tasks he had assigned to Helene was a plan to shoot a series of horror and bizarre-themed films using "Gehrman Sparrow" as the prototype.
Of course, such films couldn't possibly be shown in regular theaters—that would definitely attract the Church's attention. Moreover, large-scale viewership would actually destroy the sense of mystery, which would be unfavorable to the image of a "Trickmaster."
So Ebner instructed Helene that after filming was complete, the movies should be handed over to theaters that screened that kind of "small films," preferably shown in midnight slots.
That would make them more likely to become "urban legends."
Furthermore, those screening venues were basically set up by the company's competitors anyway, so it would be even better if they were shut down by the Church because of this.
While pondering these trivial matters, Ebner accepted the coffee brought over by the maid-dressed "Gray Saintess" Siegrid Qike, whose mind had been "imprisoned" by Torzna.
He sipped it while waiting for the Tarot Gathering to begin.
Now that Klein had advanced to demigod and the problem of insufficient spirituality no longer existed, Ebner had no need to continue using "Wisdom Eyes" to "muddle through." After all, that would be a form of disrespect toward Mr. "Fool."
...
Within the ancient palace above the boundless gray fog, beams of deep red light rose up, solidifying into different human figures on both sides of the bronze long table.
As soon as "Justice" Audrey regained her perception of her surroundings, she stood up from her seat and led everyone in greeting the head of the bronze table:
"Good afternoon, Mr. 'Fool'~~"
After completing the salute and exchanging greetings, "Hermit" Cattleya was just about to submit her diary when she saw Mr. "Fool" bend his finger and lightly tap the edge of the mottled long table twice.
That dull sound immediately made the members of the Tarot Gathering tense up, unsure of what Mr. "Fool" was about to say—or what he would say.
"Fool" Klein swept his gaze around and said with a slight smile:
"Amon's avatar has recently arrived in Backlund."
Amon—He actually dares to come to Backlund? Ebner narrowed his eyes. Although the ambush he had suffered earlier at the hands of the opponent and the "Hidden Sage" had involved the Goddess's schemes, that didn't mean he wouldn't retaliate.
After all, as Amon himself had said, it was now "1:1"!
(End of the chapter)