Chapter 504: Chariot

The dark-colored strip of cloth with a bark-like pattern rotted in Lei Ke Dun's hand, breaking into pieces that fell, shattering into finer powder as they fell and dissipating into the wind.

Lei Ke Dun lowered his eyes, his emotions very restrained, murmuring in a voice only he could hear, "Is this the final lingering obsession?"

"Time is too ancient, the spirit has almost completely faded, and I cannot divine any more information."

"Did the traits on his body disappear, then get devoured by a monster in the darkness after being extracted, or did they animate into a monster and leave this place?"

He sighed, and Lei Ke Dun slightly turned his left wrist; the abnormal gravity around him suddenly vanished, and the twisted tree that had been lifted into midair crashed down to the ground.

His gaze, deep and solemn, stared into the endless forest; under the silvery lightning, the closer one looked, the more the forest's uncanny strangeness could be felt.

Retracting his gaze, Lei Ke Dun turned and walked two steps backward; during this, his body became instantly transparent, disintegrating into fine, glittering Star Sand that shimmered with pale blue light, soaring upward and rushing to the other side of the forest.

On Tuosikate Island, Anderson, who had left the Future, and Ke Lai En, the incarnation of Ge Er Man·Si Pa Luo, found a nearby inn to stay in.

After Anderson used the key to open the door and enter his room, he seemed to finally shed a heavy burden and flopped onto a nearby armchair.

He lay quietly for a moment, then suddenly felt a bit thirsty, rose slowly, and poured himself a cup of hot water.

He sipped the water while pondering his next plans: to have some wine—regular wine, not the concocted brew on the Future! He also needed some generous pirates to contribute a few gold crowns! Cough! Cough! Cough! Anderson suddenly began coughing violently, the glass cup in his hand slipping straight down, shattering into pieces on the floor, and his other hand clutched at his throat as if he couldn't breathe.

Cough! Cough. He coughed harder and harder, his face swelling blue‑purple, his voice gradually weakening.

Then, a crimson flow surged in his eyes as if fire would ignite, the blue veins on the back of his hand wriggled like worms—signs of losing control! Boom! Anderson seemed to lose his strength, collapsing heavily to the ground, his body convulsed a few times, and then fell completely still, even his breathing ceased.

After about ten seconds, Anderson, looking like a corpse, suddenly straightened his back, rolled up from the floor and sat up, his heart still racing as he touched his own face.

"... I almost choked to death just from drinking water!"

"Luckily, otherwise I would have become the hunter with the most comical cause of death. Is it true that the deadliest danger often hides in the most ordinary life? And that guy wasn't trying to intimidate me!"

"Fortunately, before entering that sea region, I spent a fortune on a substitute dummy."

As he spoke, Anderson pulled a straw‑bound doll from the lining of his vest; with crude ink he had drawn two eyes, a nose, and a mouth on it.

The doll was already corroded, dripping black liquid drop by drop; in less than ten seconds it completely melted into a pool of dark fluid, lying silently on the floor.

"After leaving that sea region, the misfortune on me grew truly fiercer."

"No, I can't keep postponing it; I must quickly resolve the misfortune on me, otherwise I'll be too scared to even drink water later."

Muttering a few words softly, Anderson could no longer attend to his current condition, so he simply sat cross‑legged on the floor, head bowed, eyes closed, hands clasped before his mouth and nose in a devout prayer posture: "Essence of knowledge, source of mystery, brilliance of civilization, great Unrecognized God, you are the keeper of truth."

"Your faithful follower prays to you, praying for a way to lift the misfortune upon me."

Anderson repeated his prayer in ancient Hermes language several times, but received no response; feeling a bit deflated, he rose from the floor, hesitating whether to change his reverent title and try again.

Based on my past experience, after misfortune erupts once, I won't be too unlucky for the next two or three days; having just survived a choking incident from water, I shouldn't immediately be punished by the gods for insufficient devotion.

Having made up his mind, Anderson moved to another spot and began praying again: "Fool who does not belong to this era, you are the mysterious ruler above the Gray Mist, you are the Yellow‑Black King who governs good fortune."

"Your faithful follower prays to you, praying for a way to lift the misfortune upon me."

Above the Gray Mist, Ke Lai En sat upright in the high‑back chair belonging to the 'Fool', watching the scene unfolding before him through deep‑red stars, feeling an urge like a bolt of lightning to shut his mouth completely.

He leaned his body back, propped against the high‑back chair, his gaze scanning the high‑rank items on the table, murmuring softly:

"These things do not pertain to the realm of fate, and I am merely an empty‑shell 'Fool'; solving others' misfortune is beyond my ability. If that guy dies unlucky, perhaps I could even get some loot from it."

"No, given Anderson's temperament, under normal circumstances he wouldn't suddenly pray to me; on the Future he had plenty of opportunities to pray, yet now he just suffered another misfortune? And a lethal one at that. I didn't notice any sign; it must have been something ordinary, very minor."

"Forget him for now; I'll find a chance to ask Wei Er·Ang Sai Ting, or A Luo De Si."

Having decided, Ke Lai En intended to cut off contact and leave Above the Gray Mist; he raised his hand, but the motion suddenly halted. Given Anderson's nature, to ensure his own safety, when plagued by misfortune he would likely cling to me; having a Rank‑Five extraordinary acquaintance nearby is safer than being alone, even though I might also be one of the dangers he faces.

"What a hassle—the strongest hunter, with ambiguous ties to the Knowledge Church, can still be a valuable resource and connection."

As the thought rippled, his spirit spread, enveloping the deep‑red star representing Anderson, pulling the other into this space above the Gray Mist.

The deep‑red light suddenly burst, then instantly contracted, coalescing into a young man wearing a white shirt, black vest, and brown wide‑leg trousers; his short golden hair was part‑styled, and his turquoise eyes held a hint of bewilderment.

In the area beyond his sight, a crimson flame shaped by swords, spearheads, arrows and many weapons—stained with iron rust and blood—slowly materialized.

"Is this the emblem of the 'Hunter' path?"

Ke Lai En glanced at the still‑dazed Anderson, tapped the edge of the table twice with his fingers, producing a dull clack, then said in a leisurely tone:

"Why did you become tainted with a fragment of Wu Luo Liu Si's lingering power?"

"... Huh?" Anderson blinked, then quickly regained composure, his expression heavy as he surveyed the mottled figure at the head of the long table shrouded in the Gray Mist, then lowered his head again, only glancing at his surroundings with his peripheral vision.

Many of the texts he had read mentioned: deities must not be gazed upon directly.

Even if the being isn't a true god, the difference is negligible; to me, it makes no distinction.

Anderson, while calming his thoughts, respectfully recounted verbatim the events he experienced in the temple within the Divine War ruins.

Finally, he chuckled self‑deprecatingly: "I almost choked to death just from drinking a glass of water; if I hadn't previously spent a fortune on a life‑saving substitute doll, I would now be a corpse shedding extraordinary traits."

After a pause, he asked cautiously, "May I obtain a method here to lift the misfortune upon me? If so, what price must I pay?"

Ke Lai En, seated on the high‑back chair, made no movement, as if indifferent to the question, and let out a light laugh:

"I adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange, but you cannot presently offer me satisfactory compensation."

He paused briefly, and before Anderson could speak eagerly, continued:

"A gathering is held here regularly; you may seek assistance from its participants, some of whom can solve your problem."

"A gathering?" Anderson looked up in surprise, glancing around.

The place indeed seemed frequented, but in such a setting before a great being, holding regular gatherings? Isn't that a bit bold, perhaps too thrilling! Anderson reined in his wandering thoughts, bowed his head lower, and spoke more reverently:

"May I participate in the gathering here?"

"I am a treasure hunter active in the Mist Sea, having visited many places and discovered numerous treasures; my experience is fairly broad, and I have my own network in the extraordinary world."

His condition differs completely from those I first pulled into the Gray Mist; although his demeanor is respectful, he doesn't fall silent out of caution, speaking as if gossiping with a friend.

Moreover, a hunter's network truly isn't a list of enemies, is it?

Ke Lai En muttered a few thoughts internally; when Anderson fell silent and his expression shifted from calm to uneasy, he finally spoke slowly:

"Heh, you can. They use Tarot cards as codenames; you may also choose one for yourself, and I've already removed any duplicates."

As he spoke, he lightly flicked his fingers, and a set of exquisite Tarot cards materialized out of thin air, hovering around Anderson in mid‑air.

Anderson, looking at the Tarot cards floating beside him, couldn't help but mutter softly:

""Emperor". Wouldn't that be too arrogant, huh, no 'Sun'? Seems also no 'World'. Then let's go with 'Chariot'."

"I choose Zhang, the chariot that overcomes obstacles and gains victory."

"(End of chapter)"