Chapter 128 Tarot Club Time Once Again

Klein noticed that Mr. Hermit’s appearance seemed to have changed slightly. Activating his Spirit Vision, he indeed saw that the deeper layers of the other’s Spirit Body were more ethereal than before, with sparse specks of light occasionally flickering within.

‘The Hermit has advanced again!’ Klein realized.

He knew full well that when The Hermit first attended the Tarot Club, he had been only a Sequence 9. Now, only about a month had passed, and he had already advanced twice in succession…

Klein examined The Hermit’s Spirit Body more closely and saw that his state was also very stable, without the slightest sign of losing control.

He frowned inwardly: ‘How did he manage that?’

The others could also sense the change in Mr. Hermit’s temperament, but they did not immediately associate it with an advancement. After all, when the man had purchased the Sequence 7 main ingredients earlier, he had appeared leisurely and in no hurry to advance…

Once the greeting phase of the Tarot Club concluded, The Hanged Man was the first to offer up two pages of Emperor Roselle’s diary.

The Fool asked, “What do you desire in return?”

Alger bowed his head slightly and said in a reverent tone, “Honorable Mr. Fool, I unexpectedly acquired a piece of information regarding the ancient era, and I hope to verify its authenticity.”

Klein felt uneasy behind the gray fog, but outwardly remained calm and said, “Speak.”

Alger glanced at the others, cleared his throat, and said, “I learned from a document that the Elves originated from the Western Continent. Is this true?”

In his view, Miss Justice, Little Sun, and Miss Magician had set a terrible precedent earlier by openly asking and answering questions in front of everyone. Even the questions Miss Justice paid for had been openly answered by The Hermit.

This made Alger feel cornered. Unless a question touched upon personal secrets, he felt compelled to ask it openly; otherwise, the other members might think him stingy and unwilling to share.

This question of his had already exposed the core information. Regardless of whether the answer was yes or no, everyone now possessed intelligence regarding the Elves.

Klein breathed a slight sigh of relief at that question, because the matter of the Elves’ origins had appeared in Roselle’s diary previously.

The Emperor had obtained certain documents aboard the Black King, a relic left behind by the Solomon Empire that he had discovered. Among them were descriptions of the Western Continent.

Based on inferences, an accurate answer could indeed be given to this question.

Klein maintained a very relaxed tone as he replied, “Yes.”

Alger froze for a brief moment before respectfully saying, “Thank you for your answer.”

With that, he looked straight ahead, signaling that he had no further questions.

Audrey and Fors, were somewhat dazed. In their minds, the Elves were like a race from fairy tales. Who would have thought they truly existed, and even came from the Western Continent?

To them, the Western Continent was likewise a legend. They had only learned of such a place through scattered snippets, having previously treated it entirely as folklore or ancient mythology.

Who could have imagined that the place actually existed as well?

Meanwhile, Derrick recalled coming across records concerning the Elves while looking up ancient materials for Mr. Fool, yet that ancient tome had never mentioned where the Elves originated from either.

Odis and The World showed no reaction to this question, as was customary.

Alger’s sacrifice reminded Odis that he also possessed two pages of Roselle’s diary. However, when it came to matters concerning the God of Steam or the Hidden Sage, The Fool was currently unable to offer much help.

So Odis intended to save them up for later, sacrificing them to The Fool when he required his assistance in the future…

Next came Mr. Fool’s reading time. A few minutes later, Klein finished reading those two diary pages and said to everyone, “You may begin.”

Odis was the first to speak, “I have a Mystical item for sale. It corresponds to Sequence 8 Folk of Rage of the Sailor Pathway, and it takes the form of a metallic gauntlet.”

This gauntlet had come from the Briber he had eliminated using the Composite Array on Riverbay Avenue. He intended to sell it off first since he found little use for it.

Just as he had anticipated, Alger was the first to ask, “How much are you selling it for? What are its specific abilities and negative effects?”

“800 pounds.” Odis answered, “Its primary ability allows the wielder to accumulate their own fury and strength, unleashing an explosive burst of force in a single strike. The negative effect is a tendency to act rashly out of anger. Swimming for half an hour every day can significantly mitigate this drawback.”

The negative effect was not particularly severe, so Alger promptly replied, “I’ll take it.”

Generally speaking, a Mystical item corresponding to Sequence 8 was worth between 600 and 800 pounds.

However, scarcity was also a factor. Out at sea, for instance, Mystical items and Beyonder characteristics belonging to the Sailor Pathway fetched slightly higher prices than they did on land.

Beyonder characteristics of the Sequence 8 level typically sold for around 600 pounds, but at sea, a Folk of Rage Beyonder characteristic would go for at least 800 pounds.

A corresponding Mystical item, provided its negative effects were not too severe, would command an even higher price.

If Alger bought it for 800 pounds, he could turn around and make dozens, or even over a hundred pounds in profit.

“Alright.” Odis nodded with a smile. Then, he added, “I also have an Extraordinary weapon here; a revolver. It only needs to be loaded with ordinary bullets to hit the target while simultaneously inflicting damage on their Spirit Body, leaving them unable to heal that damage without the aid of corresponding Ritualistic Magic. It can still be used for nine months. 300 pounds.”

This Extraordinary weapon had been seized from the arena. Extraordinary weapons were the last thing Odis lacked, and he possessed plenty of weapons capable of attacking Spirit Bodies, so he had no need for this revolver.

Alger was momentarily taken aback.

‘Did Mr. Hermit kill one or more Beyonders over the past week, therefore seizing a Sealed Artifact and an Extraordinary weapon?’ He wondered.

Klein shared a similar thought. Transactions involving Mystical items were rare in the Tarot Club. Members generally only brought them here to trade after seizing them and finding it inconvenient to sell them in the real world.

Audrey was quite interested in the revolver, but realizing she had no practical use for it and could not easily produce it without drawing attention, she held her tongue.

Derrick was likewise intrigued by the weapon, but the City of Silver had no such thing as a revolver… using it would only expose him, so he refrained from proposing a trade.

Klein the ability to use Air Bullets, and Fors was short on money, so no one inquired about the transaction.

Left with no other choice, Odis said, “I have a way to prevent the weapon’s Spirituality from dissipating. If anyone needs it, you can contact me at any time. The remaining lifespan will still be nine months.”

The other members responded in turn, stating that if they ever had such a need, they would initiate a transaction with him.

Alger then spoke up: “Does anyone here understand Elvish? I mean the ancient form of Elvish, not the version occasionally seen in the Beyonder world today.”

His question was primarily directed at The Hermit and Little Sun. The former seemed to have an extraordinarily deep knowledge of scripts and languages, while the latter had access to numerous ancient documents and might know some lost Elvish.

Odis smiled and said, “The ancient Elvish you speak of can also be regarded as the mystical symbols once used by the Elves. I dare say that across the Northern and Southern Continents today, there are certainly no more than twenty people who still understand this language!”

The emphasis lay on excluding the Western Continent, the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and the Astral World. Another emphasis was placed on ‘people’.

He paused, then added, “Coincidentally, I happen to be one of them.”

Alger looked toward him and said, “I have a document that requires translation. What are your rates?”

“Just last week, I translated a document in ancient Dragon script for a client and charged 100 pounds,” Odis replied with a smile, “I believe that’s a reasonable rate.”

Klein thought to himself: ‘Does translation work really pay that well?’

Fors was also tempted to learn an ancient language, thinking this was far more lucrative than writing books.

Alger immediately said, “Deal!”

He had already consulted many people, and had even engaged intermediaries to ask descendants of the Elves secluded on a certain island. Yet he had received the same answer: none of them could translate it.

If no one in the Tarot Club could translate it either, Alger had intended to hand the document over to the Church to earn merit.

Doing so, however, would mean letting that treasure slip through his fingers…

His swift agreement made Odis think: ‘I asked for too little. My rates clearly need an increase.’

“Mr. Fool, please help me manifest it.” With Klein’s assistance, Alger manifested the ancient Elvish document onto somewhat illusory paper, which materialized in Odis’s hands the very next second.

Odis gazed at the characters on the page, which differed markedly from modern, standard mysticism symbols.

After studying them for a minute or two, he said, “All done. Shall I write the translation down for you, or read it aloud?”

“Read it aloud,” Alger replied.

He was certain this was a crucial clue to a vast treasure, one left by a pirate active on the seas over 300 years ago.

Rumor had it that both Loen and Intis had once conferred nobility upon the man. Reading it aloud might prompt other members to share clues about this pirate.

Odis began: “‘All of my wealth has been placed within the eye of the whale. O compatriots of future generations, use it to revitalize our race once more! The enemy is far too powerful. I foresee that I am destined to fall, and so I have hidden everything away in advance. Among it lies even a relic of the great Elf King!..”

“…We were once rulers of the seas. Under the leadership of the great Elf King and the Queen of Calamity, we were one of the mightiest races in this world. Yet look at us now. We are forced to eke out an existence in the forgotten corners of this world, constantly fleeing the relentless hunt of those scoundrels from the Church of Storms…”

“…Go and fight the cultists of the Church of Storms! The divine throne of the Lord of Storms was seized through despicable means; that divine throne rightfully belonged to the great Elf King! Vanquish this evil god and reclaim all that we have lost!'”

A brief silence fell over the grand palace. Only after quite some time did Alger find his voice: “Divine throne… seized through despicable means…”