"To be honest, I'm feeling a bit nervous right now," Klein admitted softly with a sigh, having made his preparations.
"Do you need some encouragement?" Lin Ruo, now recovered and no longer puzzled about the 'Goddess of the Evernight' act, offered with a smile.
"If you could, then wish me success!" Klein responded, his sigh giving way to determination as his eyes hardened.
He took a step and began walking counterclockwise in the square.
The first step, chant "The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng xiānzūn.)"
The second step, "The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng tiānjūn.)"
The third step, "The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng shàngdì.)"
At the fourth step, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. (Fúshēng xuánhuáng tiānzūn.)"
Each step was accompanied by a dignified name. Lin Ruo observed him take four steps, noting a hint of discomfort on Klein's face.
Naturally, this didn't surprise Lin Ruo. He blinked and instinctively attempted to establish a connection with Klein to help... Wait, something went wrong?
Having initiated an instinctive action, Lin Ruo was taken aback. Then, he realized that something had entered his perception after that action.
Almost simultaneously, a cacophony of sharp whispers echoed in his ears. It was as if countless voices were talking at once, all in a frenzied state.
A faint mist formed before Lin Ruo's eyes, indicating that something was materializing.
However, in the next second, everything seemed to freeze like a paused video, and all those phenomena vanished.
In that moment, Lin Ruo had a realization:
Sefirah Castle had refused to establish contact with him!
Wait, did he just instinctively establish contact with Sefirah Castle?
Lin Ruo's thoughts raced, but confusion crept in.
Because what he had done earlier had been truly unnerving, not to mention the sheer audacity of attempting to connect with the Sefirah castle, as if snatching it from Klein. Yet, there was something specific about this that left Lin Ruo bewildered.
How had he managed that?
Frowning, Lin Ruo delved into his memory, searching for the source of such knowledge. Yet, no matter how he searched, he couldn't pinpoint the origin of this knowledge. It felt as though these actions had arisen naturally, as if he had acquired the knowledge out of thin air.
But that couldn't be possible, right?
"Did I... forget something?"
Lin Ruo's brow furrowed as he scrutinized his memories. They remained unchanged, but the bizarre situation he was in made him wonder if there was a missing piece.
Perhaps he hadn't just arrived in this secret world, maybe he'd been here for a while and had acquired the corresponding knowledge, only to forget it for some reason.
Despite searching his mind exhaustively, he found no evidence to support this theory. Ultimately, he had to set aside the matter temporarily and turned his gaze to Klein, who had evidently entered the Sefirah Castle. Though he regretted missing the birth of the 'Fool' and the construction of the Tarot Club, this disappointment didn't linger for too long. He redirected his thoughts towards other considerations.
Without a doubt, following the original plot's progression, the Church of the Evernight'ss Night Watchers, Dunn and Leonard, would eventually investigate the suicides of Klein Moretti and his classmates, as mentioned in the Quaternary Notes. This would lead them to Klein's doorstep. Subsequently, after experiencing numerous trials and deliberations, Klein would join the Night Watchers and embark on a three-year journey to become a 'god'.
Lin Ruo welcomed this development. Aside from the Goddess's attention, the mere inclusion of the Night Watchers would offer him and Klein significant assistance. The Night Watchers' systematic teachings covered a broad range of mysticism knowledge beyond what a wild Beyonder could grasp. This advantage proved valuable to Lin Ruo and Klein alike.
While it was true that Klein, a newcomer to the Beyonder Domain, would greatly benefit from this arrangement, Lin Ruo recognized his own knowledge gaps. Despite having absorbed numerous secrets from the original work, he was less knowledgeable about the mysticism's foundational aspects, which weren't extensively detailed. Remedying this deficiency required his participation in these lessons.
Nonetheless, these lessons remained a stepping stone. Whether for Klein or himself, it was evident that they couldn't confine themselves to the Night Watchers' nurturing environment forever.
Klein was bound by various factors. Staying with the Night Watchers wouldn't suffice if he intended to face formidable adversaries head-on. Similarly, Lin Ruo didn't believe that his predicament of being trapped in a spiritual state could be resolved by merely staying with the Night Watchers.
Of course, Lin Ruo understood that if he remained passive, Klein would likely follow the same path as the original plot. After the deaths of Ince and 008 alongside their captain, Klein would return through the Sefirah Castle, resurrected, to embark on a solo journey of revenge.
However, Lin Ruo had no intention of standing by idly.
While he didn't consider himself an entirely virtuous ally, he respected the lives of innocents, heroes, and protectors. He detested those who treated the lives of innocents as mere pawns of destiny. This sentiment was evident in his previous life when he took initiative to overturn fate, altering the lives of ordinary people.
Thus, he was prepared to confront Ince. The summoning of the evil god's heir through his interference with Ince led to the Backlund smog incident, causing numerous casualties. The urge to eliminate this threat was becoming more pronounced.
Moreover, he was now bound to Klein and watched over by the Goddess of the Night, thrust into this whirlpool. Given these circumstances, Lin Ruo couldn't delude himself into thinking that he could evade all consequences by doing nothing.
He'd learned from his past mistakes and now, more than ever, preferred to proactively shape his destiny, rather than being thrust about by fate.
"Right, the secret badge ensures I won't draw unwanted attention from that quill," Lin Ruo mused, his eyes reflecting deep thought as he discarded the active secret badge in his hand.
Dealing with Ince naturally meant addressing the most pressing concern—item 008, which Ince wielded as a Level 0 sealed item.
Managing 008 wasn't straightforward. Its unique trait of linking knowledge between itself and others made it tempting for more than 90% of people to engage with it. Nevertheless, with his newfound safe haven, Lin Ruo needn't worry about this issue.
Moreover, 008's influence on the fate of others was considerable.
From the original work, Lin Ruo gathered that 008's reach extended across the size of Backlund, and its intensity was akin to the Quaternary Notes incident, which saw angels falling.
Fortunately, the collapse of Ince's psyche meant that 008 likely wouldn't function at its peak. Furthermore, 008 couldn't drastically enhance Ince's direct combat capabilities. If it did, Ince might have wielded it to directly confront the evil god's heir or even confront the Tingen Night Watcher squad alongside 008.
To be frank, as a seasoned manipulator of others' destinies, Lin Ruo wasn't afraid of anyone in this world. Even back then, when he was subtly shaping the transcendents, he stood as an entity capable of toppling cities single-handedly.
Nonetheless, hasty actions should be avoided.
A long-term perspective was vital.
With his thoughts revolving, Lin Ruo continued to discard the secret badge, lost in contemplation.