It hurts!
It hurts a lot!
In a distant land, faraway from any civilizations, under a tree emerged countless transparent maggots, with three-dimensional patterns. These maggots slowly made their way towards each other, curling together, twisting-tangling, merging and shaping into a humanoid body.
They formed a skeleton, then came the flesh and associated vessels and finally, the skin. In a few moments, a man laid there on the ground, on the very place where these countless maggots began merging. He was naked and curled into a fetal position . He was panting heavily and his eyes were tightly shut.
Slowly the man loosened up a bit. His breath softened and his eyes, which were once closed, fluttered open. He had black hair, black eyes, and ordinary features. This was the King of King of Angels of the Seer Pathway, Klein Moretti.
Klein clenched his chest for a moment and then eased with a sigh. He felt a piercing sensation curling through his entire body, as if every worm of spirit was being stabbed by a thousand needles. He slowly got up from his position and observed his surroundings. Well there was nothing to observe really. He was sitting under a tree in the middle of a forest surrounded by even more trees.
Where am I? No the bigger questions should be, how did I even get here and what happened to me? Countless thoughts plagued Klein's mind. It was then he noticed he was standing naked. He closed his eyes and transparent maggots emerged from his body, forming a well suited attire. It made him look like a well distinguished gentleman.
Sighing, Klein diverted his thoughts back to his current predicament. He dived into his memories in search of finding some answers, and sure enough, his memories were shattered into bits and crumbles.
His latest memory that he could recall was his conversation with the Evernight Goddess Amanises, when he had given her the river water of the sefirot, River of Eternal Darkness from one of its tributaries situated inside Calderon City in the spirit world, and she had told him to make preparations to ascend to Sequence 0: Fool.
Then I returned to Sefirah Castle and then… That was all he could recall. Klein couldn't help but sigh again. This situation reminded him of the time he first awakened in his current body, the body of the Original Klein Moretti. Back then his memories where jumbled, and he could not recall the series of events that led to the original Klein's suicide.
Pushing that aside, Klein habitually began to consider all possibilities that could have led him to his predicament with the most obvious one being that he might have gotten into a fight with now Sequence 0: Error Amon and Sequence 0: Visionary Adam.
This would explain his extremely bad condition and his unknown situation. Just as this thought popped into Klein's mind, he discarded it. His reasoning being that he wouldn't have been alive if he had really gotten into a fight with the father-son duo. However, Klein, ever the cautious person, kept the possibility lingering in his mind.
Speaking of which, Klein closed his eyes once more, and felt his connection with Sefirah Castle, he realized that it was only very slight, and not on the level of complete ownership which he previously had.
Still, just the fact that I have any level of connection with Sefirah Castle proves it wasn't Amon. But then who… Klein pondered. It was only then that he realized a very peculiar thing. There is divinity in the air. Klein immediately assumed a narrowed demeanor. At his level, he could sense the presence of Sequence 0 Deities, and this godhood that he could feel in air was originating from a Sequence 0 Deity.
But there was one peculiarity about it, the godhood he felt was much more chaotic and madness stricken then the one he felt around Amanises, it almost gave him a headache.
For the Deities to make a divine descent with their real body would mean... Klein's head pierced up, he looked at the sky, looked at the world barrier. His expression became even more grave than before. The world barrier is way too stable! Forget about it breaking in the next 10 years, it probably won't break for another thousands of years!
But… this would mean… Klein stopped himself from thinking any further. Yet the thought kept ringing in his mind. The extreme amounts of divinity in the air, the strength of the world barrier and my unknown situation… It can't be right?!
Klein stopped thinking, and extended his hand. He pulled out four portions of staple food from the historical void, and placed them in four corners forming a rectangle. Klein himself stood at the center, he closed his eyes and took a step forward counter-clockwise in the shape of a square and chanted softly.
"The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.
"The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.
"The Exalted Therach of Heaven and Earth for Blessings.
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
After chanting, Klein returned back to his original spot and stood there. Just as he expected, he heard familiar murmurs, the ravings of Celestial Worthy, the previous Lord of Mysteries. But this time, they were more grounded to the point Klein felt a slight shiver. He opened his eyes and saw the familiar grey fog.
The greyish white fog vibrated, as a symbol consisting of 4 dots in a rectangular manner, surfaced in Klein's right arm, prompting him to lift his hand in the air. Sefirah Castle itself began to shake as the greyish white fog churned violently and penetrated Klein's raised arm, a sensationless feeling as the symbol on his hand brightly lit up, illuminating the entire Sefirah. Klein regained his connection with Sefirah Castle, becoming its owner once more. The fog settled down once again, while the symbol on his hand dissolved in his skin.
Sighing again, he observed the mysterious space above the spirit world and found that it had gone through a reset. There was no Majestic ancient palace nor were there any high end molted table. The 22 High Back chairs were also not present. Sefirah Castle was exactly like how it was when Klein had entered it the first time. Only the grey fog and a deafening silence.
His Junk pile was also gone.
This further confirmed his suspicion, he took a step forward and appeared before a set of stairs that led upwards towards a Bluish black door. The Door of Light, the true body of Sefirah Castle. Klein climbed up the stairs, now standing before the Door of Light, he slowly lifted his gaze and saw the almost completely transparent cocoon of light. Inside the cocoon was a man, in his early thirties. He was wearing a T-Shirt and Jeans and held a smartphone in his right hand. His expression appeared normal and relaxing but his eyes were tightly shut.
Countless others like him were inside these cocoons of light, hung up above Sefirah Castle by thin black threads, all wore different attires, had varying expressions and all belonged to various parts of the planet. However, one thing they all shared was their tightly shut eyes and their loneliness. That all of them have lost everything they lived for or cared about, without them even knowing about it.
Klein slowly shifted his gaze and settled it on to a particular spot. His breathing grew heavy as his eyes widened. What Klein saw was the familiar cocoon of light that belonged to him. It was broken and empty. Besides this cocoon was another cocoon of light that belonged to his fellow countrymen, his friend and transmigrator senior Roselle Gustav. Also known as Huang Tao.
This cocoon which should have been in the same condition as Klein's was instead intact. It was still housing the spirit body of Huang Tao, who appeared relaxed while bearing a slight smile…
Across Klein's and Roselle's cocoons was another, which should belong to the Evernight Goddess Amanises. As he expected, it was left broken and empty.
Klein's breathing worsened, his heart beating palpable, as he immediately pulled out a gold coin from the historical void and flipped it, the coin gained some height before gently landing in the palms of Klein's hand and disappeared. Klein stared at his now empty hand and brought them to his face, he rubbed his forehead and loudly sighed.
He divined the time period he was currently in, and sure enough it wasn't the Fifth Epoch.
He was currently in the Second Epoch. More specifically in the early era of fire. The darkest era of Humanity and the period of ancient gods.
How did I… Klein had no words to speak, his head was mostly empty, or more accurately numbed from shock. This wasn't the first time this has happened to him, and this made him more terrified because this time around he had no hope to cling on to.
Ha haha haahah….I have already lost everything once, and now i have lost everything twice…. Klein couldn't help but laugh, laugh like he had just heard the funniest joke in his life. No, at this point he felt like his very life was a joke.
When Klein transmigrated from the modern age to the fifth epoch, he had a hope in his heart that he could return back to his world. This was brutally crushed when he came across Chernobyl, realizing everyone he once knew, and everything he once cared for was gone.
So, he opted to focus on his other priorities, which included the tarot club, his family, his friends like Mr. Azik, WIll Auceptin, his church and his countless believers that were his anchors. And now all of it is gone.
He had once again lost everything in his life.
And this dealt a massive blow to his psyche. He couldn't help but laugh.
And this time, I can't consult my psychiatrist. After all, her ancestors haven't even been born yet... Klein laughed even louder than before and dropped to his knees, held his mouth and knelt down continuing to laugh like a madman.
His laugh echoed through the empty Sefirah Castle.
Shrouded in gray fog stood the Ancient majestic palace with a vast dome supported by ancient pillars. Directly under the dome stood an Ancient, long bronze table, with Twenty-Two high back chairs, ten on both sides and two on ends.
At the long end of the table, on the divine throne of The Fool sat Klein who had just recovered from his initial grief and loss.
Well, let's straighten things out... I am currently in the Second Epoch. At least, this can't be the work of those brothers… Klein pondered. As far as he knew, none of the deities in the fifth epoch had authority over time. Even Amon, who was a slug of time, should not have the level of authority required to send him so far back.
Then it only leaves one existence that should be capable of such a feat, but I don't see a reason why "He" would do so. After all, What benefit could "He" reap from sending me to a distant past? Klein then noted an anomaly with himself. Even though he had zero anchors in this time period, his condition was completely stable.
"This..." Klein closed his eyes and began inspecting himself. Soon he realized that some unknown existence had erected a seal inside him that was preventing The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth from corrupting him and taking over his body.
Klein was even more baffled now. Not only was this unknown existence capable of sending him to the past, it was also capable of sealing the corruption stemming from a Great Old One—A True Pillar.
As far as Klein knew, apart from the Mother Goddess of Depravity in "Her" peak, only one existence stood equal to the Lord of The Mysteries and that is God Almighty. But I fail to see a reason for "Him" to send me back in time either. And besides "He" does not possess authority over time. On top of that, is "He" even capable of sealing the very embodiment of a seal? Though Klein wanted to disregard this theory, he still kept it in mind.
Regardless, I should probably stop thinking about how I am here. If this existence is capable of such feats, chances are I'll never be able to know about "Them" in my lifetime… Or until I am the Lord of Mysteries.
A sigh escaped him as he deeply inspected this seal within him, mentally noting down its peculiarities and limits. This seal can completely resist the madness brought about by the Beyonder Characteristics. But it is a little fragile, it would probably break at some point before the world barrier fails.
Hmm but still, its durability is a little insane for it to shield me from a Pillar. Also, from its current strength, I could potentially accommodate the Fool Uniqueness. I definitely can't advance to Sequence 0—the qualitative change brought about will destroy it.
Klein sighed once more (How many times has he sighed in a single day?). If only the seal maker was a little more generous, then I could have probably advanced to Sequence 0. Klein lampooned out of habit. His mood was slowly lighting up, as for a long time, he could push aside issues revolving around madness and corruption.
Still, my situation is shrouded in mystery. While there's no imminent danger, I should remain cautious. Klein reminded himself. He leaned back on his chair and began thinking about what he should do now.
One thing is for certain, I shouldn't be present at this time, and yet here I am. This means history has changed. Does this mean my existence has given birth to a new timeline? Klein paused and examined his hands. He rendered an image of his body in his mind and then wondered.
I am still in Klein Moretti's Body, which means I have physically traveled back in time, and not spiritually. I also have my two Sequence One Beyonder Characteristics with me. Klein slowly rubbed his chin.
One Beyonder characteristic is from the curtain. The other belonging to Zaratul should technically be somewhere out there in this era. The other Sequence 1 Beyonder Characteristic should be with the Annihilation Demonic Wolf Flegrea as well as the Uniqueness.
I am pretty sure the Beyonder characteristic corresponding to Zaratul in future and the one in the curtain should have disappeared in this timeline due to my existence. After all, except for certain special cases, there can only be 3 Sequence 1 beyonder characteristics. I, who has already digested the said characteristic holds overall higher authority over them, and so the current undigested beyonder characteristic would disappear under the law of beyonder characteristics indestructibility. There can never be more than 3 sequence 1 beyonder characteristics and there can never be less than that. Of course, under certain 'circumstances' this law can be broken, but I doubt even the omnipotent and omniscient would be capable of maintaining "His" envisioning of characteristics, through time and history considering "He" shouldn't have fully revived.
This also explains why my cocoon broke open in the second epoch, when it was supposed to break in the 5th epoch, because I already exist here in this timeline. It's similar to the principle of Uniqueness. Just like how there can never be 2 uniqueness of the same pathway, there can be two spirit bodies of the same person.
Every being originates from The Original Creator and so every being is unique in one way or another. While consciousness may be replicable by a visionary, that isn't the case with the spirit body, the very core of a person. When I came to this timeline, there were for a moment two versions of me, one inside the cocoon and one inside this body. Since my life order is much higher than the one inside the cocoon, it immediately broke and my soul probably merged with me. This explains my fragmented memories. I have double the memories for a portion of my life. This is also helping me strengthen my humanity!
Klein couldn't help but curl his lips. While he didn't like the fact that he had lost all his anchors and friends, there were quite a substantial amount of pros to his situation too. And besides I haven't completely lost them, I merely have to wait for them to be born. Klein then paused and giggled, This time I truly will be an Ancient Deity by the time I'll form the tarot club again. Assuming I'll survive till then.
Klein composed himself, and leisurely laid back on his chair. I should take advantage of my situation. Considering my cocoon has already been broken, history has already been altered. Since it changed, I might as well cause mayhem and shift certain situations in my favor.
Starting with acquiring and accommodating the Fools Uniqueness. Once I become the Half-Fool, my strength and authority will at the very least reach Sequence 0. This way, I'll be able to better influence things, and won't have to always worry about running into danger. I'll also be able to borrow the Error and Door authorities of which would make life overall much easier.
Nodding in affirmation, Klein came to a decision to acquire the Fools Uniqueness and accommodate it to become the Half-Fool. Speaking of which, I don't even have to do the ritual considering my very existence is an anomaly in all History, Fate, and Time.
When I came to this time period, my fog of history which spans up to 5th epoch collided with this time's fog of history which only spans up to 2nd Epoch. This creates a contradiction since the 3rd, 4th and 5th epoch has yet to happen but the fog of history of those times already exists. In this way, History has been Fooled.
Not only that, originally I was supposed to be born in the 5th epoch and so I should have been inside the cocoon of light during this period. But not only is that not the case due to my existence, my fate which was to tread the Fools pathway in the 5th epoch has already been played out. However, I am now in the second epoch. In this way, Fate has also been Fooled!
And Time has naturally been Fooled as well! Simply because I shouldn't be in this era. My fate and history has overlapped with this timeline which naturally creates a contradiction in time!
Klein lips curled up into a grin. The more he thought about it the more he realized just how much the pros outweigh the cons. If only I knew it would have been this easy, I would have agreed with whoever sent me back in time! Klein laughed a little, before settling his emotions and coming to a decision.
It's settled then. Currently The Fool's Uniqueness should be with the Demonic Wolf Flegrea who has accommodated it and in result went mad... Wait!? Klein summoned a gold coin from the historical void and tossed the coin. It gained some height before landing back in his palm and disappeared.
Klein had divined if the Annihilation Demonic wolf was still alive, and found the answer to be affirmative. This means the Giant King Aurmir's betrayal hasn't happened yet...
Klein seriously divined his exact current time period and found that there was still quite a bit of time before Aurmir's betrayal and the fall of Flegrea.
At least another Ten years or so… Klein nodded and formed a plan. Then, I should wait until Flegrea perishes and then retrieve the Fool Uniqueness from "His" body. I can leave the Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries characteristic for Antigonus so that The Antigonus family can be formed in the 4th epoch, and support the Tudor empire later on.
Yes, while I will create changes in history according to my needs. I will still let the major events in history take place, so as to not birth any large, and unpredictable changes. For example the Fall of the Ancient Sun God, so the Era of Gods can take place or the War of the Four Emperors, since that led to the creation of Loen, Intis and other countries.
I need to make sure that the changes I create wouldn't hinder the overall development of this timeline. Klein summoned a pen and paper and wrote down this statement noting it as a rule that he must follow. He then went back to his plan to take the Fools Uniqueness and came across a single variable.
Amanises.
The Evernight Godd- No. 'Amanises' shouldn't really be a hindrance to this plan considering at the current time "She" is only a Sequence 2: Servant of Concealment. If I want to take the uniqueness "She" wouldn't be able to prevent it. But this may cause me to be hunted down by "Her" church in the future and might ruin some of the changes I wish to make in the 3rd and 4th epoch.
Klein came to a very easy solution for this problem. To befriend Amanises. It has only been maybe two years since "She" was born, and so naturally "She" is going to be in a much more vulnerable state due to naiveness and "Her" still very much unknown circumstances. If I can help "Her" during this time period and gain "Her" trust, then she can be a powerful ally of mine which would certainly allow things to be much easier.
Yeah, I am definitely not going to manipulate "Her" to do my bidding, Klein seriously added.
This wasn't the only reason Klein wanted to befriend Amanises. He simply felt it was a natural thing to do. Amanises had aided him throughout his journey. "She" separated the Sequence 9-1 beyonder characteristic, saving him from his fate of losing control. "She" directly blessed him, an act which helped Klein on multiple occasions. "She" also helped him kill himself against Amon, betted on him from day 1 and went out of "Her" way to protect him against the Antigonus family notebook albeit by sending him into a dangerous spot.
Klein was naturally grateful for "Her" help. So, now that the position was reversed, he felt it was the only right thing to do so.
And, I would actually have someone to talk to. I won't have to be completely alone which would certainly help with my mental sanity. Klein rubbed his temples and came to a decision. I'll approach "Her" later on and gain "Her" trust during this time period. I can then help "Her" in digestion and in accommodating "Her" uniqueness and rising to Sequence 0.
I'll then have a Sequence 0 ally, and through "Her" I can keep my schemes concealed as well as myself. This would provide me with adequate room to do my own things. I can also teach and tell "Her" about various things she should be aware of such as outer deities, Great old ones, World Barrier… And maybe also about how this world is Earth, I doubt "She" would be aware of it by now. More than likely, "She" got to know of this when "She" met the Ancient Sun God.
Speaking of which, I should for the most part keep my existence hidden. Considering I am an individual that has authority over a Sefirah, I may very well be hunted down by the various deities and king of angels. It is better if they are not aware of The Fool…. I can get Amanises's help as "She" can more effectively conceal me.
Klein sighed and got up from his seat, This should be it for now. My main goal is to befriend Amanises and gain "Her" trust and make sure my existence wouldn't be revealed…
I also need to focus on maintaining my humanity. I don't have any anchors currently. I can't rely on avatars and the seal to keep me balanced. I'll have to do it myself.
Yes, this is supposed to be humanity's darkest era. I should go around the world and connect with the now enslaved humanity, maybe even help them albeit groundly. Klein looked down and slowly shook his head.
Humanity doesn't come just from anchors but also from "meaningless" human interactions. If I can help people and share a part in their suffering, it will in turn strengthen my connection with humanity and help me in keeping my mental condition stable. I need to remain as 'humane' as possible. This needs to be one of my top priorities.
Remember, You are he not a "He".
Klein nodded, He then extended his right hand and pulled a historical projection of himself from when he was a Sequence 2: Miracle Invoker. Klein then entered a concealed state, allowing him to descend in the projection.
The reason Klein used a historical projection instead of his real body or an avatar was to minimize the effect of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence. Amanises was a subsidiary god to the Annihilation demonic wolf Flegrea, who had accommodated the Fools Uniqueness. If Klein were to pop with his real body, he would inevitably attract Flegrea's attention.
But through the use of a historical projection of a lower sequence, and at the same sequence as Flegrea's subsidiary gods, Klein could minimize the effects to an extent. Albeit the possibility of attracting "His" attention still wasn't negligible. So even if Klein were to get in trouble, he would be able to easily escape by simply canceling the projection.
Klein's projection took a step forward leaving Sefirah Castle and immediately appearing back into the forest he had awoken in. He canceled the historical projection of staple foods which he had used for the luck enhancement ritual.
He then closed his eyes and borrowed Door's pathway authority from Sefirah castle and entered the spirit world. Klein kept his eyes close and focused as if trying to sense something. He then began walking in a certain direction and continued onwards for a while before coming to a halt. He then walked outside to the real world appearing on the edge of a cliff.
The ground beneath him appeared fractured, crumbling away while the crimson moon shined atop. Further away from him, layed a sprawling settlement stretched across the desolate landscape. An amalgamation of various grotesque cities inhabited by humans and monsters alike. Their movements and appearance resemble corpses, marionettes with their string's cut off, wandering through the desolate lands like forgotten souls.
Majestic mansions, each one of them crafted with extravagant style and detail, layed in starking contrast along the decay surrounding them. It was as if to mock all the passerbys who looked at them with envy.
Drilling from these lifelike-lifeless corpses were illusory, thin lines which extended to the sky, stretching to an infinite height. These extensions vanished into a swirling greyish-white fog that hung heavy over the settlements.
This greyish white fog concealed at its center an ancient black chapel, the crimson moon hanging just above it, naturally complementing its appearance. An eerie silence enveloped it, as if no living nor non-living thing had dared come close to it for over a millenia.
This was the Divine Kingdom of the Ancient God, King of Demonic Wolves, Flegrea!
Klein slowly moved his head, observing the various small and large cities set up by "His" Subsidiary gods. His gaze then pierced through the whole settlement landing at its furthest outskirt. There he saw a small house that appeared more lively than the rest. Moon flowers and night vanillas flourished around the house, their delicate petals glowing faintly in the eerie crimson light.
This was the small abode of one of the subsidiary gods of Flegrea, The Goddess of Misfortune, Amanises.
A slight smile spread to Klein's lips.
Haa!
Nightmares, nightmares once again!
Panting heavily, she shut her eyes tightly, trying to gain control over her breath, but it was futile. The trembling wouldn't stop and neither would the tears.
This had become a normal routine for Amanises. After a while, she managed to steady her breath enough for her to rise from her resting place and walk towards the mirror at the corner of her room. She stopped right in front of it and stared at her still foreign reflection.
Sighing, her gaze shifted down to the floorboards, lingering there. A part of her wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, while the other part wanted to continue her research of finding a way to go back home.
And yet all of it is for nothing… Nearly a year had passed since she had opened her eyes in this world, trapped in a body that wasn't hers. Reminiscing about her old home, her parents and friends, Amanises just stood there rooted to ground.
Suddenly a sound almost like a murmur intercepted the silence and pierced her ears. Amanises quickly grew alert, turning her body toward the door to her room, her attention fully focused on the sound.
She stood there patiently, yet nothing else happened. It was only then she payed serious attention to the murmur and realized it sounded extremely familiar.
This… Auditory illusion? Amanises was intrigued. After listening to it for a few more seconds, she felt a sense of familiarity and soon came to a shocking realization. This was a piece of tune from a famous song that was getting popular back in her world!
It was a song from her world, her home!
Amanises's mood instantly shifted. Without hesitation, she quickly leaped out of her room, rushing downstairs and out of her house to the beautiful garden inlaid with moon flower and night vanilla. She closed her eyes, heightening her sense of hearing, and began walking in a certain direction, the song growing clearer with every step. Before long, she broke into a sprint and followed the melody that tugged her forward.
Before she knew it, she had crossed the boundaries of Flegrea's Divine Kingdom. Amanises knew all too well how dangerous it was, aware that she was potentially being lured into a trap. But this was the first time she had encountered something, anything, that resembled her old home—her true home.
That was enough reason for her to keep going even if it was nothing more than a trap.
Of course, while Amanises was driven by her emotions, it didn't cloud her intelligence. She had long concealed herself and was ready to flee at a moment's notice. Darkness teleportation, one of the abilities of a Sequence 3 Horror Bishop, was ready in the back of her mind in case things went south and her life was threatened.
She wasn't reckless—just determined.
…
After what felt like an eternity of sprinting, Amanises arrived at the edge of a cliff, not far from Flegrea's Divine Kingdom. There, she saw a humanoid figure, a man sitting at a cliff's edge, his legs dangling over the cliff. He wore a black robe, and a classic hat adorned with red feathers on his head, his back facing her.
Though his face remained unseen, Amanises noticed something peculiar about the mysterious man. His demeanor and presence were unnervingly ordinary, lacking any special traits to them. This wouldn't have been a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that, this time period, she currently found herself in was ruled by ancient mythical races that regarded humans as slaves.
For an ordinary person like him to be roaming around so freely means, he was by no means 'Ordinary'. Amanises also took notice that the melody she followed, the one that guided her over here had abruptly stopped.
As if sensing her gaze, the man slowly shifted his head from staring at the crimson moon to meeting her eyes, a smile on his face. Amanises observed the man, his appearance was just as ordinary as his demeanor. This man slowly rose from his sitting position. Once on his feet, he took off his hat and gave her a gentlemanly bow.
His attire resembled that of a magician she had seen illustration of, in the various story books she read back on earth.
"Good evening, Lady of Misfortune," the man greeted in a calm, steady tone as he placed his hat back on his head. His smile was unwavering even though he was facing a Demonic wolf which were known for their cruelty. Amanises acutely noted this fact. The man before her, despite his plain appearance, was clearly anything but ordinary.
Or he is just stupid. But that seems unlikely… Amanises lampooned inwardly. She kept her gaze fixed on the man and calmly spoke, "Who are you?"
"Me? I am just an Ordinary Wandering Magician." The man calmly replied, pulling out a magician's wand from under his coat, as if he was going to put on a magic show in front of her. Amanises expression remained unchanged, as she continued in a flat tone,
"Ordinary you say? Well, if you were, I am afraid you wouldn't have been able to roam around so freely.
"Either you are really good at concealing yourself from the various beings that litter these lands, or you are not 'Ordinary' at all." Amanises rebuked. The man's expression didn't change, as he slowly replied,
"You are right, I am not 'Ordinary' but I am still a wandering magician. My speciality is wish fulfilling magic.
"Tell me, do you have any wish you would like fulfilled?" Amanises expressions changed to an amusing one.
"A Miracle Invoker?" She enquired.
Silence.
The man did not reply, his gaze fixed at her, his smile unchanged, as if waiting for her to state her wish.
Amanises softly spoke,
"You did refer to me as 'The Lady of Misfortune', which means you should be aware that I am one of the subsidiary gods of the king of Demonic wolves.
"That, I am.
"Then you should also be aware of the fact that 2 out of the 5 subsidiary gods under our God are Miracle Invokers like you.
"If I had any wish that I would like fulfilled, then I would rather ask them. Why you?"
Amanises rebutted with reason attempting to gauge any sort of reaction from this suspicious fellow. And she succeeded. The man's expression softened and he spoke in an alluring tone,
"You are right, that you would.
"But can they fulfill the wish that is closest to your heart, the one that you hold the dearest from the very moment you opened your eyes to this world?"
Pause… Amanises expression twisted indescribably. She immediately responded, raising her tone in a threatening way, "Who are you?!"
"I am just like you, a being that does not belong to this era."
Amanises eyes widened, a chill ran up her spine as the man in front of her continued,
"Yes Amanises, I am a 'Transmigator' like you. Someone who opened his eyes in an unfamiliar body and bore witness to a world he never knew of." The man said with a smile that seem to hide the pain in his words.
Amanises mind was blank. The possibility that there might be others like her in this world had never crossed her mind. But now, standing before her was a man, whom she did not even know the name of, yet she shared with him a history no other being was aware of.
The surge of emotions she felt in those brief moments was overwhelming, so much so that her mind seemed to have gone numb.
Wait, should I be happy that there are others like me or should I be saddened? She lampooned inwardly to calm her mind. She wanted to ask this person so many questions but when she went to open her mouth, the man raised his hand signaling her to stop.
His smile dropped and his expressions became grave. For a few moments he stayed motionless, before his lips slowly curled up and he began to speak, "While I would love to continue our chat, I am afraid I'll have to take my leave. Otherwise I will attract "His" attention."
Flegrea Amanises thought, and remembered that this man seemed to be a Miracle Invoker, the sequence 2 of Fools Pathway which the Annihilation Demonic wolf Flegrea held authority over.
"But if you 'wish' to continue this convo of ours then…" The man took out a white piece of paper from under his coat. He threw that paper at Amanises like a sharp dagger, which pierced itself in the ground just beside her paws.
"Pray to me." The man waved his hand casually as he turned and began walking toward the edge of the cliff. Amanises glanced down at the white piece of paper, then at the man. For a brief instant, she hesitated, before finally shouting,
"What should I call you? At least give me your name?!" The man stopped. He remained silent for a moment before saying without turning around,
"Klein, Klein Moretti."
Amanises witnessed as Klein walked off the cliff. For some time she stood there and processed the whole conversation that had just taken place between the two strangers that shared a distant past. She then shifted her gaze to the piece of paper Klein had given her. On it was what seemed to be his honorific name in a beautiful handwriting and written in english. It read,
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
"The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
As soon as Amanises was done reading the Honorific name written on the white piece of paper, it went up in flames and reduced to ash. Suddenly Amanises felt an intense gaze on herself. She froze up in fear and stood there, not daring to do as much as breath.
After a while, the gaze receded and Amanises, not wanting to stay there for even a second longer, turned her body around and sprinted her way back home.
…
When Amanises first awoke in this world, she found herself lying in a pool of blood. Her own blood. As if not horrifying enough, she quickly realized that she was no longer in her body, but instead she found herself in the body of a giant eight-legged, black furred demonic wolf. That was when she had realized that she had transmigrated.
The Original Amanises, the goddess of misfortune was killed in a power struggle among her siblings that wished to dethrone her from her position as one of the subsidiary gods to King of Demonic Wolves, Flegrea.
This was her first introduction to this cruel world, and the starting point of her nightmares.
In the hopes of finding a way to return back to her world, she began to study mysticism, distancing herself from the other subsidiary gods and Demonic Wolves as well as her master Flegrea. She moved to the outskirts of "His" Divine kingdom and set up her abode over there.
It wasn't actually the outskirts of "His" divine kingdom as, that only stretched up to the length of his Divine Chapel, with the rest of the settlement and small towns, set by "His" Subsidiary gods and Demonic wolves, situated around it.
Due to the grey fog that covered the entire settlement, many demonic wolves and other subsidiary gods began to consider the entire land as Flegrea's Divine kingdom. They called it a blessed land that no mortal dare tread on, unless wanting to become prey.
Flegrea was a mad god. "He" had accommodated the Fools Pathway Uniqueness which wasn't a neighboring pathway to "His" original pathway, Darkness. Due to which, "He" very rarely called anyone inside "His" divine kingdom, and if anywhere dared approach it or even got a little bit close to it without "His" permission, "He" would kill them and then eat their body.
Due to this, there ran a deep fear in the mind of everyone that served under Flegrea, not wanting to anger this Deity. On one special occasion, were Flegrea did call "His" Subsidiary gods in "His" divine realm, Amanises once asked "Him",
"Great master, Do you think there might be some Mysteries in this world that truly bear no answer to themselves." Amanises had asked "Him" this, due to feeling lost in her pursuit of returning home. She had pretty much studied all knowledge Demonic wolves had on mysticism and had come into contact with various old spirits that roam the unfounded. Yet her effort yielded nothing as she did not find single clue regarding her research
In "His" rare moment of sanity, Flegrea answered albeit not one in the way she expected. "He" told her about an 'Ancient Relic' left behind by the Original Creator, the maker of everything in this universe. "He" said that, when the original creator went into slumber, from "His" body formed an ancient relic which "He" had named Sefirah Castle.
According to "Him", "It was a place shrouded in grey fog, a divine kingdom belonging to 'The Omnipresent Ruler of the Spirit World.'"
While Flegrea truly believed that Sefirah Castle existed, "He" could not for "His" life find this ancient relic, hence a mystery that truly bears no answer to itself.
This only left Amanises feeling even more lost. At some point in time, she had reached a giant wall in her research, preventing her from progressing any further. As the dead ends piled up, Amanies grew tired of her endless pursuit in searching for a way back home.
She even began to believe that there was no way to go back, this combined with the loneliness she felt and her longing for her home had long pushed her into a deep abyss. She began to believe this was how the rest of her life was going to be, a never ending suffering that will slowly eat her away until there would be left nothing but the Goddess of Misfortune.
But this changed today, because she had met someone that was from her world, from her home. Lying in her room, Amanises analyzed her previous conversation with the man named Klein. She softly chanted his honorific name in her mind, not daring to say it out.
The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
The King of Yellow and Black who wields Good Luck.
"The Fool..." Amanises softly muttered, His Honorific name doesn't make much sense… At best he, no "He" should be a sequence 2 or 1 and maybe from Fools pathway. That does not make "Him" 'The Fool', yet "His" honorific name directly refers to "Him" as such. Not only that, it only contains three lines which are used for deities…
And what does "He" mean by 'The Mysterious Ruler above the grey fog'?
Amanises instinctually looked out of her window to a distant spectacle of the demonic wolves settlement that was shrouded in a thin grey fog. She observed it for a moment before slowly muttering in her head,
Sefirah Castle?
It seems far stretched but if an ancient relic like that does exist then… Amanises pondered for some moments, she then shook her head and sighs, There is no way to really know without meeting "Him".
And finally, 'The king of Yellow and Black who wields good luck'. I am pretty sure, a miracle invoker can to a certain extent alter the probability of future events. This can be inferred as luck to a certain extent...
Amanises then slowly giggled, Aren't you 'The God of Fortune' instead?
Amanises then began to contemplate if she should pray to him or not. Usually, praying to a hidden, unknown existence would be a faux pas, even for a subsidiary god like her. But here, Amanises was sure that Klein was definitely not a deity since the Fool Uniqueness was with Flegrea.
And he didn't appear to be a deity from another pathway, otherwise his honorific name wouldn't have had himself referred to as 'The Fool'.
Merely reciting the honorific name shouldn't be a problem... As far as my mysticism knowledge goes, reciting someone's honorific name should only attract their attention, but "He" shouldn't be capable of doing anything else with this connection.
If my previous conjectures were correct, then "He" should at best be a Sequence 1—an Attendant of Mysteries. There shouldn't be too much of a gap between us, so I should be capable of resistance in case "He" tries to do something…
Amanises acutely weighted all possibilities before ultimately coming to the decision to pray.
Forgive me Master, for I am about to sin. Amanises lampooned and giggled inwardly. She actually felt a little happy about contacting someone that shared something common with her, in this case their home.
Standing upright she closed her eyes and softly chanted in jotun,
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
"The Mysterious Ruler above the Grey Fog;
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…"
…
In the majestic towering palace, propped up by various stone pillars, a crimson star shines brightly with ripples, its illumination dampened by the thick fog around it. It flew over a high back chair that was situated closest to the seat of The Fool.
Klein gazed at the shining crimson star with a smile, he leaned back and reached out his hand touching the rippling circle of light. Following that, he expanded his spirituality enveloping the crimson star.
…
Amanises suddenly felt a tug. She opened her eyes and found an endless greyish-white fog beneath her, and in front of her was an ancient, mottled bronze table.
What? Surprised, she looked around and saw various towering stone pillars, as well as a towering palace propped up by those stone pillars.
She then slowly turned her head towards the end of the long bronze table and saw a man of average looks. He had black hair and black eyes and was average built. The man was also looking at her while smiling,
The man slowly got up from his seat, took his hat off and gave her a gentlemanly bow.
"Welcome Amanises. Let me reintroduce myself,"
"Klein, Klein Moretti."