Chapter 5"Meeting Above the Gray Fog"

The same Loen language. The same tense, heavy atmosphere.

“Where is this place? What do you want from us?” — That was exactly what Zhou Mingrui wanted to ask as well. He forced himself to stay calm, silently repeating the same question in his mind.

What left the deepest impression on him wasn’t the words themselves, but the emotions revealed by the man and woman — panic, vigilance, fear, and reverence all tangled together. As the unexpected orchestrator of this encounter, even Zhou Mingrui himself was shocked, let alone these two "visitors" who had been inexplicably pulled into the world of gray fog.

For them, this experience likely went far beyond the limits of imagination.

In an instant, two choices flashed through Zhou Mingrui’s mind:One, pretend to be a confused victim as well, earning their trust and observing the situation;Two, maintain a mysterious, unfathomable image, take control of the situation, and extract valuable information.

There was no time for careful deliberation. He seized that fleeting flash of inspiration and chose the latter — to leverage their current mental state and play to his greatest strength.

The gray fog fell into a brief silence. A few seconds later, Zhou Mingrui chuckled softly and replied with a calm tone, as if he were simply responding to a casual greeting:

“An experiment.”

“An experiment?” Audrey Hall stared at the figure cloaked in gray mist. It all felt absurd, laughable, and utterly chilling. Just a moment ago, she had been sitting at her dressing table—now she found herself in this strange, eerie world of gray fog!

She took a deep breath, forced a polite smile, and asked in a composed manner:“Sir, has this experiment concluded? May we return now?”

Alger Wilson also wanted to probe, but his experience led him to silently observe for now.

Zhou Mingrui’s gaze moved between the two. Through the haze, he could make out the tall outline of the blonde girl, though her features remained unclear. The other man had messy, seaweed-like deep blue hair and an average build.

Suddenly, a realization struck him — perhaps as he deepened his connection to the gray fog world, he would eventually be able to pierce through the haze and see their true appearances.

At this moment, he was the master of this place. They were only visitors.

With that change in mindset, Zhou Mingrui noticed a detail he had previously overlooked: both the girl and the man were surrounded by faint reddish halos — as if they were projections of those two crimson "stars" from within the gray fog. The connection was subtle, but undeniably real.

If he severed this link, the projections would vanish, and they would return...Zhou Mingrui gave an almost imperceptible nod, then turned to the blonde girl with a slight smile:

“Of course. As long as you formally request it, I can send you back right now.”

Audrey, hearing the goodwill in his voice, felt a wave of relief. A man capable of such miraculous feats—if he promised something, he would surely follow through.

Now that she had relaxed, she was in no hurry to leave. Her blue eyes sparkled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness as she asked:

“This is truly a marvelous experience... I've always longed for such mysteries... I mean, sir, how can I become a Beyonder?”

Good question. I'd like to know that too... Zhou Mingrui quipped internally while pondering how to maintain his mysterious persona.

Suddenly, he felt that standing around and talking like this lacked the gravitas the situation deserved—shouldn't this setting have a majestic temple, a bronze long table, and tall-backed chairs etched with mystical patterns, with himself seated at the head?

The moment that thought emerged, the gray fog began to churn, startling both Audrey and Alger.

In the blink of an eye, towering stone pillars rose from the ground, a vast dome arched overhead, and a majestic structure—like the court of a giant king—materialized out of thin air. In the center, surrounded by mist, a long bronze table appeared, flanked by ten high-backed chairs on either side, their backs engraved with shimmering constellations.

Audrey happened to be seated near the head of the table. She looked around in awe and couldn’t help but murmur softly:

“It’s... magical...”

It really is... Zhou Mingrui thought, right hand gently brushing the edge of the bronze table, though his expression remained unreadable.

Alger looked around and then suddenly spoke, answering Audrey’s earlier question on Zhou Mingrui’s behalf:

“You’re from the Loen Kingdom, right? If you want to become a Beyonder, you can join one of the three major churches — the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of Storms, or the God of Steam and Machinery.”

“Though most people will never encounter the Beyonder world their entire lives—and may even doubt the churches themselves—I can tell you with certainty that in the Arbitration Court, the Inquisition, and similar institutions, Beyonders still exist. Just far fewer than during the early days of the Iron Era.”

Zhou Mingrui listened intently but made a show of appearing disinterested. From Klein’s memories, he knew that the “Iron Era” referred to the current age — the Fifth Epoch, which began 1,349 years ago.

Audrey let out a gentle breath:“Sir, I know all that... but I don’t want to lose my freedom.”

Alger chuckled lowly:“Becoming a Beyonder always comes at a cost. If you don’t want to join the churches, then your only options are the royal family, ancient noble houses, or... secret organizations.”

Audrey puffed out her cheeks unconsciously, then quickly glanced around to make sure no one noticed. She asked again:

“Is there no other way?”

After a brief silence, Alger turned toward Zhou Mingrui at the head of the table. Seeing that he remained noncommittal, Alger finally said slowly:

“I have two Sequence 9 potion formulas.”

Sequence 9? Zhou Mingrui silently took note of the term.

“Really? What are they?” Audrey’s eyes lit up.

Leaning back in his chair, Alger said:

“To become a Beyonder, humans must rely on potions. Their names come from the Blasphemy Slates and have changed through numerous translations. The names themselves don’t matter — what matters is whether they reflect the potion’s ‘core symbolism.’”

“One of the formulas I have is called Sailor. After taking it, you’ll gain supernatural balance, able to move easily even in storms. Your strength will increase, phantom scales will grow beneath your skin, and you’ll swim like a fish—at least ten minutes underwater.”

“Sounds like the Lord of Storms’ Seaborne pathway?” Audrey asked.

“That’s what it was called in the old days.” Alger continued, “The second is Spectator. It gives you enhanced mental strength and powers of observation. Like a theatergoer, you can uncover truths from subtle expressions and gestures of others.”

He emphasized, “Remember, whether it’s a grand banquet or a busy street, the Spectator is always just that — a spectator.”

Audrey’s eyes gleamed with excitement:“I... I like this Spectator! How can I trade for it?”

“100 milliliters of Ghost Shark blood,” Alger said, clearly prepared.

Audrey nodded, then hesitated:“If I manage to get it, how will we make the exchange? And how can I be sure the formula is real?”

Alger answered calmly:“I’ll give you an address. Once I receive the Ghost Shark blood, I’ll share the formula here. With this gentleman as witness, we can both rest assured.”

“Yes!” Audrey’s eyes lit up. “Sir, please be our witness.”

At that moment, she finally remembered something important and hurriedly added:

“Sir, how should we address you?”

Alger also asked formally, “Sir, may we know how to address you?”

Zhou Mingrui tapped the tabletop lightly with his fingers. He suddenly recalled the earlier Tarot reading. Leaning back in his chair, he interlaced his fingers beneath his chin and smiled:

“You may call me...”

He paused, then spoke slowly, with calm certainty:

“The Fool.”

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