The Secret Master

"Sure." Klein tried to keep his tone low and steady. He rested his left elbow on the armrest of the high-backed chair and propped his slightly tilted forehead with his fingers, presenting an appearance of calm and attentive listening. Alger considered his words before saying, "The Antigonus family is an ancient one. Their history can be traced back to the Cataclysmic Era before the Fourth Age, and they are related to the Second 'Profane Slate'." The Second "Profane Slate"? There could be a second "Profane Slate"? How many of them are there exactly? Klein's eyes narrowed slightly, almost changing his posture. According to what the "Hanged Man" and "Justice" had said before, the "Profane Slate" recorded twenty-two divine paths! Such an important item could have two, or even more? Twenty-two divine paths... Sequence paths... Eh, can these two terms be equated? Is each complete sequence path a road to the divine throne? In an instant, thoughts about the "Second 'Profane Slate'" emerged one after another in Klein's mind. He believed that if it weren't for the thick grayish-white fog, his emotional reaction would have been noticed by Miss "Audience". As for the term "Cataclysmic Era", as a professional, he was not unfamiliar with it. It was the name for the Third Age. After this period of review, Klein even knew that the Third Age was divided into two eras: the Glorious Era and the Catastrophic Era. "The Second 'Profane Slate'?" Audrey did not hide her confusion. She had not yet calmed down and fully returned to the "Audience" state. Good question! Klein silently applauded Miss "Justice". This was a question that the "Fool" identity was not convenient to ask. Alger glanced at the Fool. Seeing that the other's posture had not changed and he had not spoken to stop him, he thought for a moment and said, "The first 'Profane Slate' appeared in the Dark Age, that is, the Second Age when humans struggled to survive under the protection of the gods. The second 'Profane Slate' appeared at the end of the Third Age. It can even be said that its appearance marked the end of the Catastrophic Era." "The information about these two 'Profane Slates' is strictly confidential among the Seven Churches. I only know that they both involve divine paths, but I don't know what the differences between them are." "Did Emperor Roselle read the first or the second 'Profane Slate'?" Audrey asked curiously. Hearing this, Klein recalled Alger's description of the names of potions during the first gathering. He said that the names of sequence potions all came from the "Profane Slate"! "Similarly, the captain also mentioned that the formation and improvement of the potion system relied on the emergence of the 'Profane Slate'... This indirectly proves that the divine paths are sequence paths!" Klein silently answered his own question from earlier. At this moment, "Hanged Man" Alger said simply and directly, "The second one." Audrey's gaze turned calm, and she returned to the "Audience" state, no longer asking questions but focusing intently on "Hanged Man". This made Alger feel rather uncomfortable. Suppressing his emotions, he continued in a low and slow voice, "During the Solomon Dynasty of the Fourth Age, the Antigonus family was also a prominent noble family, but they did not leave any particularly impressive deeds. It was not until they supported the establishment of the Tudor Empire that they truly stood at the center of the stage in the northern continent." "At that time, the ancient names of Antigonus, Amon, Abraham, and Jacob shone in the human realm, but after the Four Emperors' War, the blood emperor of the Tudor Empire fell, and they tumbled from the peak and were pursued by the current Seven Gods." I'm not sure about the specific process. All I know is that the Antigonus family was eventually wiped out by the Church of the Night. Mr. Fool, if you want to know more, you'll probably have to get it from the Church of the Night or contact those few ancient secret organizations. You know which ones I'm referring to. I don't know... Klein nodded with a bitter taste in his mouth. "Hmm." The Secret Order of the Serpents is one. The Mosk Monks mentioned by Captain and Old Neil is another. I'm not sure about the Hermetic Order of the Mind... While he was silently going through the list, Alger gave the final piece of information. "I don't know which sequence path the Antigonus family mastered. But in the related descriptions, two adjectives kept appearing: strange and terrifying." Strange and terrifying... Thinking about that notebook, thinking about the experiences of the original owner and his classmates, and the mother of Rael Bieber, it's quite fitting... Klein tapped the edge of the long table with his other hand, several times in a row. Then, he spoke in a low and slow voice. "Very well. I'm quite satisfied with this reward." The reason he kept tapping the table with his fingers was to reinforce this action, to make "Justice" and "The Fool" believe that he had the habit of tapping something, thereby covering up the opening and closing of his spiritual vision. "It's my pleasure," Alger didn't mention anything else. Audrey looked at "Justice", then at "The Fool", and smiled faintly. "Then I'll ask my second question. What are the names of the subsequent potions for 'The Audience', and where can I find clues?" I also wanted to ask so directly, but different choices come with different difficulties... Klein didn't speak, and turned his gaze to "Justice". Alger was silent for a few seconds before saying, "I'll answer this question for free because I was the one who led you down this path. The sequence 8 for 'The Audience' is called 'Mind Reader', and the ancient name for sequence 7 was 'Psychoanalyst', but it's now described as 'Psychiatrist'. I learned this from a member of the Hermetic Order of the Mind. I think they should have quite a few potion recipes for this path." The Hermetic Order of the Mind... "Medium" Dally was quite approving of some of their theories, while Captain thought they were evil and crazy... Klein listened thoughtfully. "Do you know where that member of the Hermetic Order of the Mind is now?" Audrey asked with shining eyes. Whether it's 'Mind Reader' or 'Psychiatrist', they both fit her aesthetic. Alger chuckled rarely. "I do. He's at the bottom of the sea near the Sounion Island. I sent him there myself." "If you want to find the Hermetic Order of the Mind, I'm sorry, but the clues have been cut off." He wasn't worried that "Justice" would identify him based on the description just now, because he did that alone. "Sunk..." Audrey didn't know what expression or words to use. She took a deep breath and suddenly couldn't maintain the "Audience" state, saying a little shyly, "My third question. If, I mean if, a common animal drank the sequence 9 potion, what would happen?" What kind of strange question is this... Klein's fingers tapping his forehead didn't leave a trace as they tapped his brow twice. Very quickly, he saw from the change in color that Audrey was a bit flustered, a bit nervous, and a bit ashamed. Did she do something similar? Klein thought with a slight surprise but not too much astonishment. After the previous two gatherings, he was certain that Miss "Justice" had this kind of gene. "Justice" Alger was clearly stunned as well. After a long while, he said, Ordinary animals don't have human minds and can't learn meditation at once. So, they are likely to die on the spot or turn into monsters. But if they survive, they should become extraordinary creatures. If the potion can enhance their thinking ability, they might even become smart. "Alright," Audrey exhaled silently and nodded with a relaxed tone. "I have no other questions." Alger thought for a moment and didn't mention the "Aurora Society" or "The Listener". He shook his head and said, "Neither do I." "I have something," Klein remained in the same posture and said with a smile. "It requires your cooperation." He immediately noticed that "The Hanged Man" was showing obvious tension, and the previously carefree "Justice" Miss had become more cautious and fearful. Before they could speak, Klein reassured them, "Don't worry. It's a small matter. If it succeeds, it will be very helpful to you. So, I won't pay you extra." "Please go ahead," Audrey instinctively entered the "audience" state, but she couldn't see through the thick gray fog surrounding "The Fool". "Follow your will," Alger calmed down and said solemnly. Klein moved his fingers and smiled as he spoke, "I mentioned before that I wanted to try some things to allow you to take leave in advance and not worry about being in an inappropriate situation on Monday afternoon." "That's exactly what we hope for," Audrey's brows relaxed. Alger thought for a moment and said, "What do we need to do?" "You can try a ritual magic in your spare time. It doesn't need to be too formal. Just have an undisturbed environment... Place four new candles on the altar, one at each corner. It's best to use the ones with sandalwood scent... Put a piece of white bread at the upper left candle, a piece of Fenerbott bread at the upper right candle, seafood rice at the lower left, and a Dici pie at the lower right... Use a silver knife to create a sealed spiritual environment..." Klein described the ritual magic he modified from the "Fortune-Turning Ritual" and taught "Justice" Miss how to create a spiritual environment for free. To be honest, since the target was himself, Klein believed that the first part, which was to attract the interest of the corresponding existence and please them, could be directly omitted. But he still tried to make the process look like the real thing - of course, it didn't conform to what Old Neil said about the two gods plus oneself being three. "... Mix and distill moonflowers, golden mints, deep sleep flowers, golden citruses and rock roses, extract the essential oil, and drop a single drop on each candle... Audrey listened with great interest, taking notes. At the end, she asked: "And the incantation? Mr. Fool, what's the corresponding incantation?" Alger also put down his pen and turned his head, looking at the Fool. Clay, shrouded in the grayish-white mist, tapped the edge of the long table with his fingers and answered in Hermes language in a flat and undisturbed tone: "Fool of this age, you are the mysterious master above the gray mist, you are the king of yellow and black who holds good luck..."