"You're okay, that's good." Evah let out a relieved sigh, tucking away the cross. He looked at Klein with concern. "You don't look so great. Maybe head back and rest? Don't worry—no matter what Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tianzun is, you'll be fine. I'll help you…"
He paused, then, as if struck by a thought, grinned. "And even if I can't, there's always my teacher! He's crazy powerful. He'll definitely have your back."
Klein thought of Lucifer, another suspected transmigrator. Seeing Jack's radiant smile, his heart settled a bit.
He didn't fully trust this unseen Lucifer, but he chose to trust Jack.
And Klein knew that if anyone in this world could unravel his questions about transmigration and Fu Sheng Xuan Huang Tianzun, Lucifer, as a likely fellow transmigrator, was his best bet.
As for whether Lucifer might mean him harm…
"My life's already a tangled mess. What's one more thread?" Klein gave a wry smile inwardly, his attitude oddly nonchalant.
After all, when you're drowning in debt, one more creditor doesn't faze you. Klein was practically a hot commodity—fate meddled with, possibly targeted by Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. What was there to fear?
Still, he wasn't in the mood to study Beyonder knowledge anymore. After chatting with Jack a bit longer, mostly warning him not to dig into The Fool or the Antigonus family on his own, Klein took his leave.
"Poor Klein. The moment you stepped into the gray fog, you were caught in the game, no longer in control," Evah said, shaking his head after seeing Klein off, sighing inwardly.
His earlier words were deliberate. Partly to tease Klein, but mostly to give him a heads-up, heightening his wariness of Tianzun and fueling his drive to advance.
Would it crush Klein? Nah, Evah had faith in Klein's resilience. Plus, he'd thrown in "Lucifer" to lighten the load!
"And pressure doesn't vanish just because you're ignorant. Better to live awake, even if it hurts, than die in a sweet dream…" Evah mused, then gave a self-deprecating chuckle. "But am I really any better off? This world's just like that—mad and twisted…"
Shaking his head, Luo Lin pushed down his swirling emotions, stretched lazily, and turned to another matter.
"Looks like Klein's really not planning to bring me into the Tarot Club. Fine, time for Plan B. But that'll need a full moon."
Evah glanced up at the crescent-shaped crimson moon in the sky, smiling. He pulled out his pocket watch to check the time, then decided to dive back into studying occult knowledge.
...
Time flew by, and soon the full moon arrived—August 14th.
In that time, Evah buried himself in learning. He studied occult basics, historical events from the original novel (and beyond), and read books on the social conditions and customs of Loen and other nations, gaining a thorough understanding of this world.
He was going to live here, after all. He couldn't stay clueless about his new home. Since opening his eyes in this world, Evah had been deliberately soaking up knowledge.
Of course, he'd be the first to admit he just loved learning new things—otherwise, he wouldn't keep getting lost in it.
During this period, Evah also made time to visit Leonard and Pallez a few times, posing as a junior. Pallez seemed pretty content with his current life, but on the "beat Amon" front, the old man was in no rush, likely holding back due to some concerns.
Evah understood Pallez's hesitation and didn't push, simply maintaining Jack Jones' routine. Beyond studying, he eagerly tutored Klein, teaching him things the Nighthawks couldn't, and sent regular letters to Azik, keeping up with everyone.
His Actor potion digestion progressed a bit more, though not by much. Evah wasn't fazed—he had a plan for that.
He just kept chugging along, and then the full moon night arrived.
"Gorgeous, isn't it? It's hard to believe that such a beautiful moon is home to an ugly Outer God," Evah said, pushing open the window and gazing at the bright crimson moon, letting out a sigh. Then, as if struck by a thought, he chuckled.
With a flick of his palm, an ordinary-looking stone appeared in his hand.
This stone came from Fors's stone bracelet. During his last trip to Backlund, Evah, under the pretense of research, spent a few pounds to buy one from her.
Fors had initially refused—it wasn't just a keepsake from Mrs. Aulisa but also a lifesaving tool, each stone letting her "travel" once.
But Jack's offer was too good, and poor Forsi couldn't resist the cash.
Evah wanted the stone for a simple reason. He planned to use it as a medium to summon the past Mr. Door.
It was entirely doable. The medium for his Shadow of Time ability wasn't limited to people—it could be items tied to the target.
As for why he wanted to summon Mr. Door? Oh, he had plenty of reasons.
"Let's see what kind of person you really are, Bethel Abraham," Evah said, tossing the stone lightly. The next moment, he reached into the air, and a figure slowly materialized.
It was a man with a stern face, looking about thirty or forty. His hair was a rare void-black, faintly streaked with white. He wore a refined, formal suit in the asymmetrical style of the Fourth Epoch, adorned with numerous gemstones.
Mr. Door's overall vibe was strikingly like a vampire duke from myth. But when he opened his eyes, revealing blue irises rippling like layered waves, it was clear that guess was off.
Evah looked at the Angel King before him, smiling as he greeted, "Hello, Mr. Bethel Abraham. Welcome to the future!"
(End of Chapter)