Of course, Evah had considered whether the Nyarlathotep fragment within him might pose a problem and was prepared for failure. But, to his surprise, his ascent to the gray fog went remarkably smoothly, and the Nyarlathotep fragment in his spirit body became unprecedentedly quiet.
This reminded him of when he advanced to Actor.
"Could it be because the Sefirot is one of this world's greatest sources of madness, so it somehow balances out the fragment inside me?" Evah speculated inwardly, while outwardly adopting a bewildered expression, looking around in confusion. Then, he spotted The Fool at the head of the bronze table and leaned back, feigning a startled reaction.
"Y-You, uh, are you Mr. Fool?" Evah stammered, appearing slightly panicked.
So now you're finally scared? Klein grumbled inwardly, though he was a bit puzzled. His spirituality hadn't been drained much, almost as if some other force had offset the cost. It felt like he had enough energy to pull another person into the Tarot Club.
"Could it be because Jack's also a transmigrator?" Klein muttered to himself, not dwelling on it. He looked at Luo Lin, chuckling softly. "How did you manage to provoke that guy?"
Klein was genuinely curious. How had Jack pulled off such a spectacular mess? It'd only been a few days, and he'd nearly lost control.
He couldn't imagine what would've happened if he didn't have the gray fog to block the ravings or if Jack hadn't known The Fool's honorific name. The outcome could've been grim.
Maybe he'd be reading Jack's obituary tomorrow.
But wasn't this also a bit too coincidental? Klein couldn't help but ponder, and it wasn't just him being paranoid—his life was riddled with so many coincidences it practically gave him PTSD.
"Jack's clearly tied to the gray fog too. Could there really be a mastermind pushing all this, deliberately getting Jack onto the gray fog…?" Klein mused, his mood growing heavier.
But he quickly shook off the thought. Even if there was a mastermind, they'd likely been caught in its web since the moment he and Jack transmigrated. Compared to Jack losing control and dying, this outcome was something Klein could live with.
Evah could guess what Klein was thinking. He knew his setup this time was a bit rough around the edges, but that was fine—everything could be pinned on the ultimate scapegoat, the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth foe Blessings.
Coincidences? All the Celestial Worthy's doing. What did any of it have to do with an innocent, goofy college student like him?
So, when Klein asked his question, Evah put on a blatantly guilty expression, hemming and hawing before finally seeming to gather his words and "explain":
"Here's what happened, Mr. Fool. A friend of mine is connected to the Abraham family, and she has a stone bracelet tied to them. I've been curious about the Abraham family lately, so I bought one of the stones to study…"
Jack coughed, feigning guilt. "Ahem, during my research, I accidentally dripped some blood on it, and, well, as you saw, I started hearing ravings from a high-ranking existence…"
Klein: …
Klein nearly laughed in exasperation. He knew Jack was prone to reckless antics, but he hadn't expected him to take it this far.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you not to mess around with things tied to ancient families?" Klein said, his tone a touch stern. He couldn't help but think of the original Klein's fate—his classmate's research into the Antigonus family's notebook had led to disaster.
In Klein's original world, ties to ancient families might just mean something valuable. In this world, they clearly spelled danger.
"I'm sorry, I messed up!" Evah said, apologizing instantly, as if used to this kind of scolding.
You apologize, but will you actually change next time? Klein thought, exasperated but helpless when it came to his friend. He sighed inwardly, then said, "If you hear those ravings again, recite my name."
"Thank you, Mr. Fool," Evah said, his face lighting up with relief. Like a small animal sure the danger had passed, he perked up, looking at Klein curiously. "Mr. Fool, why'd you help me?"
Why? Because you're my makeshift teacher, because we're friends… Klein griped internally, but his expression remained composed, a faint smile on his face. "You carry a familiar aura, so I don't mind lending a hand."
"Huh?" Evah adopted a confused, dazed look, but then his brow furrowed as if something clicked. Jack's persona might be naive, but he wasn't dumb. Though trusting in relationships and lacking a strong sense of danger, his reasoning wasn't weak.
Having dreamed of the gray fog and knowing about the Celestil Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, such a Jack would naturally wonder if The Fool was tied to his transmigration.
But a question that sensitive couldn't be asked outright to a suspected deity, so Evah just gave Klein a hesitant, stop-and-start glance, holding back.
He then looked around curiously, and after a few seconds, as if unable to resist, asked, "Mr. Fool, do others come here too?"
"There are a few beings like you who ended up here for various reasons," Klein said, glancing at Jack before explaining the Tarot Club.
Truth be told, Klein was torn about inviting Jack into the Tarot Club.
It wasn't just the mastermind angle. Even if there was a schemer at play, Klein preferred to take the initiative rather than shy away out of fear. Instead of stunting his growth over worries about a mastermind, he'd rather grow stronger quietly and flip the board later.
Plenty of so-called chessmasters in this world ended up crashing and burning.
If he let fear stop him, he'd likely end up powerless and easily crushed by any mastermind. The same applied to Jack.
Klein's main concern was something else—reading Roselle's diary in front of a fellow transmigrator was going to be a challenge.
But after some deliberation, Klein decided to let Jack join the Tarot Club. It wasn't a bad deal for either of them. The Tarot Club would help Jack grow, and Klein could keep a closer eye on his fellow transmigrator while reaping benefits.
For instance, a new member could distract Mr. Hanged Man, reducing the risk of The Fool's identity slipping. Plus, with Jack's personality, he might ask questions The Fool couldn't conveniently raise.
Aside from Klein's potential embarrassment, everything seemed perfect.
As they say, as long as I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment's on them. Exactly… Klein mentally psyched himself up, only to hear Jack say eagerly, "Mr. Fool, can I join this gathering?"
(End of Chapter)