In a windowless basement, Alger Wilson, a man with a rough and deeply defined countenance, sat beside a long table covered with various vessels and parchment scrolls.
Before him, a half-burnt candle stood, its dim yellow flame casting flickering shadows across the objects on the table and its surface.
Alger's hair was messy like seaweed, its color a deep blue bordering on black. He wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns. His hands were clasped, thumbs together, as he leaned forward, staring intently at a bottle of pitch-black liquid on the left side of the candle.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Crash! Crash! Crash!
From within the sealed bottle came the howling of wind, then the surging sounds of the sea. Where the black liquid didn't reach, a faint mist writhed and spread, as if growing eyes and a mouth.
Alger glanced at the clock on the wall and saw the hour hand pointing to three.
He pinched his temples, and his eyes suddenly turned pitch black. A faint, subtle luster appeared on the various vessels on the table.
Just then, he discovered a crimson light surging like a tide, appearing out of thin air, instantly engulfing him!
...
Backlund, Queen's District, inside the Hall family's luxurious villa.
After seeing off the dance teacher, Audrey locked the door and sat upright before the vanity table.
Outside the window, the sun was bright and the flowers were blooming. A blank notebook bound in fine, light brown parchment lay open on the table. To its right was a fountain pen with a golden nib and a body inlaid with red gemstones.
Audrey tested it, confirming that the moment she left the "gathering," she could pick up the pen and record the formula as quickly as possible.
"I really can't wait…" she sighed, suppressing her excited emotions, pressing her lips together as she looked into the mirror.
But she couldn't see her reflection. Instead, only a deep, illusory crimson light erupted from her surroundings, from within her body!
...
Above the gray fog, inside the majestic palace that resembled the dwelling of a giant king.
On either side of the long bronze table, crimson blossoms bloomed, surging up like fountains before cascading down, "sculpting" two blurry figures. Their positions had not changed from the last time.
With her smooth blonde hair and tall figure, Audrey instinctively looked toward the head of the table. She saw a figure shrouded in thick gray fog leaning back in his seat, one hand resting flat on the edge of the table, the other loosely clenched, gently stroking his chin.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~!" Audrey called out cheerfully.
Then, she turned her head and looked across at the opposite figure, using the same tone:
"Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man~!"
This girl is really carefree. She confirmed I'm a good person just like that. Isn't she scared at all? A well-protected noble young lady? Klein smiled, maintaining his unfathomable image as he said:
"Good afternoon, Miss 'Justice'."
As he spoke, he slightly lowered his head, raised his loosely clenched left hand, and lightly tapped his brow twice.
The moment his vision changed, he saw the aura radiating from "Justice" and "The Hanged Man"!
The surrounding gray fog and deep crimson stars remained unchanged. No objects that seemed non-existent or bright lights that appeared to have a certain life of their own appeared.
Shifting his gaze lightly, Klein saw that the color of "Justice's" aura perfectly matched Old Neil's description—red where it should be red, purple where it should be purple, blue where it should be blue, white where it should be white. And the luster was bright, the thickness appropriate. It was clearly the aura of a vibrant young girl.
"Her emotional colors are red and yellow... happiness, enthusiasm, excitement..." Klein made his judgment and turned his attention to the "Hanged Man."
Like "Justice," the "Hanged Man's" aura color was nothing special, except his emotions were blue, mixed with a bit of orange.
"Calm, thinking, cautious, and a little satisfied?" As a first-time attempt, Klein concluded without much confidence.
Just as he was about to look away, he suddenly discovered something strange.
At the innermost layer of the "Hanged Man's" aura, the colors and feelings seemed to be completely unified!
Klein concentrated his spirit and looked more carefully, vaguely seeing that deep within the "Hanged Man's" "Ethereal Body" was a color like the deep blue of the sea, giving a feeling of fierce winds and surging waves.
"His 'Spirit Body'? Or the surface layer of his 'Spirit Body'? It seems he really is a Beyonder, and stronger than Old Neil." Klein's thoughts raced, his heart full of doubt. "Not necessarily, perhaps it's just because of this special environment, because this is my domain, that I can see this. It doesn't mean Old Neil didn't have a similar manifestation."
He turned his head again to look at "Justice," confirming that it was a trait unique to Beyonders.
Just then, Alger also finished his greeting.
Audrey took a light breath and asked with barely concealed anticipation:
"Mr. 'Hanged Man', did you receive the box of Ghost Shark blood?"
Alger glanced at Klein, seeing him lightly tapping his brow as if contemplating something else.
"Thank you very much. It perfectly met all my expectations. I really didn't think you could send it so quickly. Ghost Shark blood is no ordinary supernatural item." Alger replied frankly.