Klein's gut churned with a bad feeling. He pressed on with the diary:
"October 6, Cloudy.
Today I successfully advanced to Sequence 8 Swindler. Amon said I could try defrauding Him, he said it'd let me digest my Swindler potion in a second.
It was so funny. Defrauding the biggest Con artist in my own pathway? As if I've got the skills for that.
But Amon's personality is milder than I expected, kinda reminds me of my old teacher."
"October 16, Overcast.
Under Amon's guidance, I targeted some gang members for my cons. They're hardly saints, so screwing them over doesn't weigh on my conscience.
Amon says I've got talent. For real?
Gotta admit, I'm kinda pleased. Guess I am a genius."
The diary entries felt mundane, even a touch heartwarming, but Klein's brows nearly knitted together.
He noticed that over time, the Zoroast's wariness of Amon had noticeably faded. They were starting to see Amon as a genuine mentor.
If Amon were actually a decent guy, that'd be fine, but…
Klein recalled Evah's repeated warnings about "Amon being a bad guy." Staring at these diary pages, his sense of dread grew sharper.
He kept reading. After a few more brief, everyday entries, he hit an unusual one:
"June 1, Light Rain.
It's been almost a year since Amon nabbed me. So much has happened, and I've finally advanced to Sequence 6 Prometheus.
Looking back at my old diary entries makes me laugh. Turns out the Zoroast family records aren't always right—Amon doesn't seem as bad as they made him out to be.
Maybe I should ditch the escape plan? Not like I've ever acted on it."
"June 3, Moderate Rain.
Amon suddenly asked if I wanted to be His Blessed today.
Kinda shocked, but also kinda thrilled.
Blessed of the God of Mischief? Feels like it's got more clout than being a True God's Blessed."
By now, Klein's ominous feeling had hit its peak. He dove into the next entry, and the first line made his heart sink:
"June 6, Torrential Rain.
I got eaten.
But luckily, my soul's special enough that Amon had to spit me out after swallowing me. I didn't become the next Amon.
Great!
Hahahahahahaha!
Amon! Amon!
I'll kill you, I swear."
A tidal wave of hatred seemed to seep through the words. Klein stared at the abruptly ending diary, struggling to process his emotions.
In these few pages, he'd witnessed a transmigrator's journey under Amon's manipulation—from initial caution to crumbling defenses, to complete trust, only to be devoured.
It was brutal, vicious, far crueler than just killing them outright.
Amon had toyed with this Zoroast's heart and soul.
If Klein's prior impression of Amon's malice was vague and abstract, these diary entries crystallized why Jack had hammered home Amon's threat.
This was indeed an incredibly dangerous, utterly despicable entity.
So, the key question: who was this Zoroast that Amon toyed with?
Klein's mind instantly conjured Lucifer's image. Despite the man's enigmatic aura making it hard to picture him in such a vulnerable state, everyone has their weak moments. It wasn't impossible.
"And given Mr. Lucifer's attitude about not minding others appreciating his tragedy, he might actually let his diary circulate on the market…"
Klein's mood grew more tangled. He hadn't ruled out the diary's authenticity, but until proven fake, he chose to believe it was real.
His gaze instinctively flicked toward Jack, who was looking at him with a hesitant, almost speaking expression, fixated on the diary in his hands. Klein instantly read the thought behind it: So The Fool really is tied to transmigration—how else could He read Chinese…
Klein wasn't surprised and pretended not to notice, lest Evah blurt out something shocking and force an awkward dodge.
"Of course, if Jack did ask outright, I'd just have to pull the 'It's not time for you to know' card to shut him down…" Klein mused with a mental smirk. Setting the diary aside, he addressed the Tarot Club. "You don't actually have to wait for me."
The other members, faced with The Fool's words, weren't about to say, "Cool, we'll stop waiting." They promptly chimed in with variations of "Waiting is an honor" and the like.
The meeting then shifted to the intelligence-sharing phase. Ms. Justice started with an update on the clerk selection process—a proposal from The Fool, spearheaded by Ms. Justice, marking the Tarot Club's first real influence on the world.
After wrapping that up, Audrey discussed a trade with Mr Hanged Man . Just as she was about to settle into Spectator mode, she remembered something and asked, "I've recently been mingling in some Beyonder circles, attending their gatherings. There's a strong figure named Mr. A. Does anyone know his background?"
Evah, who'd been quietly observing with growing eagerness, seized the chance. "I know. Mr. A is a Divine Emissary of the Aurora Order, a follower of the True Creator."
Huh, Mr. Jack knew about this?
Audrey was surprised but quickly recalled Jack's deep family knowledge, so it wasn't too shocking. Curious, she asked, "What's a Divine Emissary of the Aurora Order?"
Evah launched into an enthusiastic explanation. As a rising organization, the Aurora Order wasn't weak, boasting five Saints and twenty-two Divine Emissaries, most of whom were mid-Sequence and used letters as codenames.
"Mr. A, even among the Aurora Order's Emissaries, is one particularly favored by the True Creator. He's a Sequence 5 Shepherd, an absolute powerhouse at that level…" Evah spilled Mr. A's secrets without a hint of guilt, then, as if recalling something, added, "But the Aurora Order doesn't seem to have any Angels. Wait, no, I think my teacher mentioned a Angel of Fate who occasionally helps them out because they follow the True Creator."
"Angel of Fate? That sounds so impressive…" Audrey couldn't help but feel a spark of excitement at such high-level knowledge.
(End of Chapter)