Suwanosejima Island,
Kagoshima Prefecture
One week later, Luke walked through the jungles of the remote island, Nyx perched on his shoulder.
The island had a rich history of volcanic activity.
It was scarcely populated, despite having an airfield and boat services to the mainland.
Also, because of hundreds of years of lava flow, the island was full of lava tubes, going deep underground.
"It will work," Luke mumbled, looking around as the sound of hundreds of animals haunted the night. "It isn't like the government will come for animal surveillance any time soon. So, we can keep different kinds of species without confining them in a single place.
"To keep them from going to the island's inhabitants' side, we can use a natural barrier by permanently modifying trees."
After returning from the Gray Castle, Luke hadn't taken much time to transfer most of the equipment to a temporary facility.
But the animals he had collected were a different matter altogether.
So, for now, he had to let them go.
[Another underground Research Center?]
Luke nodded. "School will start in another week," he said. "It's better to speed up the work, I guess."
Suddenly, he crouched, slightly bending his knees.
"Oi!" Nyx cried, taking to the air. "Will you stop doing that?!"
With only two powerful jumps, Luke reached straight to the top of a tall tree and stood there, defying all logic.
His long, white coat flapped against humid gusts of wind.
From here, he could see half the island, a grayish smoke rising in his background from the volcano's mouth.
Luke lifted his hands and clenched and unclenched his fingers, feeling the power.
Swindler hadn't raised his Stamina too much, but it had made him even more agile and powerful. Coupled with Clown's innate abilities, Luke felt he could run even on a thin wire against a storm without losing his footing.
"How are my Stats, Miss Justice?" Luke asked, Nyx cursing as she landed back on his shoulder.
…
[
Blessed Stats:
Quirk — Bioalchemy
Sequence:
— Seer, Clown
— Apprentice, Trickmaster
— Marauder, Swindler
Stats:
— Spirit: 380
— Stamina: 185
]
…
Luke nodded to himself as his eyes landed on the values.
With him having completed Sequence 8 of all Pathways, Miss Justice had strengthened even more inside him.
However, it still wasn't enough for him to go to the Gray Castle whenever he wanted.
Surprisingly, he had succeeded in sacrificing an item to Mr. Fool using a Sacrificial Ritual. He had already created a doll as per Mr. Moon's design and sent it to him.
The rest of the Tarot Club Members hadn't contacted him regarding what they wanted, though.
Will you receive the message first, Miss Justice? Luke asked curiously.
…
[
Yes. I will transfer it to you instantly.
Also, as you have already gathered the requisite number of Followers for Mr. Fool, the next series of Sequences is unlocked.
Would you like to see it?
]
…
Not yet, Luke replied.
As he had digested Swindler instantly, he would give it one more week before proceeding to the next Sequence.
Not to mention, he didn't even have the Ingredients, yet.
From all the talk of losing control, and learning how unnatural it was — to have three Sequences at the same time — had unnerved Luke a lot.
He kept feeling like he was just a ticking time bomb.
"I have a bad feeling," Nyx suddenly said. "I close my eyes and see that noseless bastard."
Luke's lips twitched.
After learning what happened, Nyx had almost plucked Luke's eyes out in anger. It was one thing to swindle others. It was another thing entirely to fool her.
After leaving behind scratches, she had taken off, hoping to find Stain.
However, even after a week of looking for his signs, neither Nyx nor Knuckleduster found anything.
"Speaking of Mr. Iwao…"
"Speak of him later!" Nyx snapped. "Where's my Clown Potion?"
"Will you stop snapping at me?" Luke complained. "I told you I won't keep you in the dark anymore. Don't you remember how I even apologized to you with that cake…"
Cake… Nyx's pupils suddenly dilated as she remembered the cake… in the shape of boobs.
Suddenly, all the frustration she had been carrying inside her for Luke was directed at the thought of that cake as well.
Luke used all his Clown's innate abilities to hold back a chuckle.
That was two of the core powers of a Swindler — Metal Disruption and Thought Misdirection.
With Mental Disruption, he forced a scene of the cake back into Nyx's mind. He could use this ability to make the target experience hallucinations as well.
Then, using Thought Direction, he redirected her thoughts, making her almost forget what she had been saying to him.
Unlike the physical enhancement and superior observation, though, he could only use these abilities when the Swindler Potion was active in the System, just like he could only use Danger Intuition when he was a Clown.
Nyx, who had digested Seer Potion completely, suddenly sensed the oddness.
She hurriedly took out her Pendulum, let it hang, and mumbled the question to herself seven times. When she looked at it, it was rotating clockwise rapidly.
A vein pulsed on Nyx's head as she confirmed Luke had swindled her again.
"You…" She dug her claws into Luke's shoulder. "… You… It's time to make you remember who I am…"
"Nyx… not here… I will fall…" Luke stuttered, a touch scared.
And then, angry caws rocked through the dark forest, the volcano gurgling along with them.
…
Cosmos,
Beyond The Boundary
From the distant blackness, a figure approached the planet, becoming bigger and bigger.
It was as if it was crossing hundreds of millions of miles at a time, turning the gap between two points to zero.
Then, just as it saw the Earth's moon, it disappeared.
Next time it appeared, it was already standing casually on the moon, eying the planet ahead.
This figure was of man. He had short, black, curly hair and black eyes. He was wearing a long black coat, a pointy hat resting on his head.
"Is this the place?" the man asked, despite being alone.
[Yes.] Someone, or Something, replied. [The Boundary will dissipate in the next eight or nine years. Can you tell me now what you are looking for?]
The black-eyed man smiled.
He lifted his right hand and pinched his right eye, making him frown.
"A meaning…" He said, narrowing his eyes at the planet. "The meaning of humanity."
*******************
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