HPxLOTM: A Wizard's Path to Divinity

This time, apart from Lovia the Shepherd, everyone else in the expedition team had been contaminated. Wouldn't that put Derrick in grave danger?

What a classic case of good intentions gone awry!

"After we went deeper into the temple, we discovered a new mural. It said that the Lord did not abandon this land, but when the cataclysm came, "He" bore the vast majority of our sins. That's how "He" went from standing upright to hanging upside down, from walking freely to being nailed to the cross, and "He" bled in our place."

"We are not the forsaken ones. On the contrary, we are the beloved chosen. If the Lord hadn't borne our sins and bled for us, the City of Silver would have been destroyed long ago, and humanity would have ceased to exist! If I didn't already know that the one hanging upside down is the Fallen Creator, I might have believed it myself."

Derrick continued recounting, "Then, we reached the bottom of the temple and quickly got lost. Everyone began to feel an overwhelming hunger."

"All the black-faced grass we brought was gone in half a day. Under the influence of hunger, everyone grew more irritable and aggressive."

"Just then, someone discovered some strange plants. They looked like the mushrooms recorded in general education classes—brightly colored and incredibly appetising. I'd never had such a strong urge to eat something before."

"We all lost control and dove toward them, snatching and devouring the mushrooms…I—I was no exception."

At this point, he looked a little embarrassed. "But Elder Lovia yanked me back and forcibly restrained me. Although she was clearly affected too…"

"In that moment, all I could do was pray to Mr. Fool. I thank Mr. Fool for bringing me here and removing my desire to eat those mushrooms."

Klein gave a faint nod.

"When I returned to my senses, I realised that those 'mushrooms'..." Derrick's emotions suddenly surged, "...were actually the rotting flesh and blood of the dead. What they ate wasn't mushrooms—it was…"

Audrey and Fors both felt their scalps tingle as a wave of nausea hit them.

This was only Fors' second time attending the Tarot Club. She knew almost nothing about Mr. Sun, City of Silver, or the so-called Fallen Creator. She couldn't even enjoy the gossip—she simply couldn't comprehend it.

"Afterwards, everyone who had eaten the mushrooms started to change. I could sense intense malice from them. If it weren't for Elder Lovia's protection, they probably would've attacked me directly. Instead…they kept trying to force me to eat those mushrooms as well."

"I knew I mustn't eat them. I knew I'd be polluted too and become like them. But the hunger kept growing…I was afraid that if it continued, I'd eventually lose control."

His fists clenched, and his body trembled slightly.

The Hanged Man, Alger, immediately frowned. "So you came to the Tarot Club this time under the eyes of all those people?"

"I…I'm sorry, Mr. Fool. I tried my best to avoid their notice."

Sigh. A bigger team really does bring more trouble.

Klein silently complained to himself and then, as the Fool, replied calmly, "It's alright. I know you had no other choice."

He then controlled The World to speak to The Fool, "Mr. Fool, I request permission to offer a food sacrifice to temporarily ease Mr. Sun's hunger."

"Granted."

"As for your current predicament…"

Klein felt a headache coming on. After obtaining the Book of Secrets, he'd mastered borrowing the authority of the Card of Blasphemy and could use paper effigies to summon a protective Paper Angel.

However, this angel was only effective against mental corruption and divination. It could help Derrick endure his hunger for a short while, but it couldn't actually remove him from danger.

At this moment, Audrey asked, "Mr. Sun, you said Elder Lovia has been protecting you all this time?"

"Yes. This incident made me believe that although she may have chosen a dangerous path, she's still loyal to the City of Silver."

"Then why didn't she deal with the contaminated team members herself?"

Derrick shook his head. "Elder Lovia said…she can't attack them here."

"Why?"

Edward spoke up, "The force polluting you is likely the power of the True Creator. That so-called pollution can be understood as a distorted form of faith in the True Creator. As 'believers' of the same god, you can't 'kill each other' inside "His" temple."

Derrick looked around the circle, desperate. "Then what should I do now?"

In the original timeline, Lovia's team managed to return to the City of Silver in less than a week. But by then, everyone apart from Lovia had been completely corrupted.

No—Lovia herself had been polluted as well. It was just that, as a Shepherd on the Hanged Man pathway who worshipped the True Creator, she slowly "recovered" afterwards.

Did that mean they had to wait until everyone was corrupted before leaving the temple?

If so, the real issue here was the True Creator. If Derrick could declare that he was my friend, would the True Creator show some "favour" on my account?

But how could that be proven?

The silence from everyone, including Mr. Fool, made Derrick increasingly anxious. Did this mean no one had a solution?

Not even Mr. Fool…

Mr. Fool thought inwardly: Don't look at me, don't look at me—I'm just here for the gossip.

It was then that The Hanged Man bit his lip and spoke up, "Mr. Sun, I might have a solution. But it'll require the help of both Mr. Tower and Mr. Fool."

Edward and Klein were both startled. This was the True Creator they were dealing with—did The Hanged Man really have a way?

Derrick quickly responded, "Mr. Hanged Man, please tell me."

"Actually, Mr. Tower's mystical storage items…can also be used to store a person," Alger said with hesitation. "If you offer yourself up as a sacrifice to Mr. Fool, and then enter the container, you might be able to reach our world through Mr. Fool's channel."

"!!!"

Derrick was stunned.

Though normally simple and good-natured, Derrick was far from stupid. The first thing he thought of was—if he could leave this way, didn't that mean others from the City of Silver could too?

He immediately looked excitedly at The Fool.

Alger then added, "Of course, that's only if this method can actually complete the sacrificial offering…"

Edward hesitated. In truth, he had thought of this possibility a long time ago, but hadn't voiced it. His concern had always been Klein's future ritual to advance to Sequence 2—bringing a lost piece of history back into the current era.

When Klein advanced to Scholar of Yore, he had proven that rituals could be prearranged, so letting the people of the City of Silver come out early shouldn't interfere with his promotion to Miracle Invoker. But the real issue was—would this method of bringing them out count as fulfilling the ritual?

If it did, everyone would celebrate.

But if it didn't, and City of Silver had already returned to the current era, even sending them back for a do-over would be pointless. At that point, how would Klein advance to Sequence 2? Open the seal to the Western Continent?

That could only be done after he became the Lord of Mysteries.

Naturally, Klein didn't think through that deeply. He simply nodded and said calmly, "It's worth a try."

Then he turned to Edward. "Mr. Tower, can you lend a suitcase to The Sun?"

"Of course, no problem," Edward replied. "Once this meeting ends, I'll offer it up to The Fool."

The conversation had reached this point—there was no room for him to refuse. Derrick's current situation was, after all, indirectly caused by his own suggestion.

He would just sacrifice a suitcase barely big enough to fit a person. Even if this method proved feasible, with so many people in the City of Silver, Derrick probably wouldn't dare ask The Fool to ferry them out one by one—what, did he think The Fool was a taxi service?

Audrey hesitated. "But…what if it fails?"

Derrick's excitement immediately dampened.

Edward sighed. "If it doesn't work, I'll think of something else. You know…I have some decent ties with the Aurora Order. Maybe I can find another way."

Aurora Order?

Fors nearly jumped out of her seat. Wasn't that the name of the notorious cult that appeared in newspapers all over Backlund? And this Tower gentleman had connections with them?

Not only was he a terrorist, he was a cultist too?!

Derrick gave a deep bow. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Fool."

"Mr. Fool, given my current situation…could you let me return now?"

"Mm." Klein waved his hand and severed the connection. "Be careful."

Derrick's figure quickly faded and vanished.

"It's your turn now, Miss Death."

Priscilla immediately spoke up. "Lately, I've been sleepwalking quite a bit after I fall asleep."

Sleepwalking?

Everyone froze in surprise.

She looked a little embarrassed. "Actually, it's those three evil spirits. After I fall asleep, they take over my body."

Edward was startled. Hadn't Mr. Azik said those three were subordinates bound to Priscilla? How could they reverse the relationship and start controlling their 'master's' body?

But then he suddenly understood. Those three were once Sequence 1 Angels, after all. It wasn't surprising that even Azik could misjudge them.

"Did you ask them about it?"

"I did!" Priscilla said. "They told me it's beneficial for both of us."

Klein, through The World, asked in a hoarse voice, "How so?"

She scratched her head. "Something about how it helps them gain freedom faster…and helps me ascend to demigod more quickly or something."

Edward pressed on. "Do you know what they actually did?"

"No."

At this, Priscilla quickly added, "That's why I want your help! I need to figure out what they're really up to. I'm sick of waking up in the middle of the night only to find I'm no longer even in Backlund!"

They've taken her out of Backlund?

Alger asked, "Can they only control your body when you're asleep?"

She thought about it. "Yes! Every time I wake up, they stop."

Alger furrowed his brow. "That's very strange. How could the power of three angel-level evil spirits be so affected by whether a mere Sequence 5 is awake or asleep?"

As he said this, he couldn't help muttering internally: I'm only Sequence 7…and I dared to say 'mere Sequence 5' out loud.

Fors, sitting nearby, was trembling. So in the Tarot Club, Sequence 5 was just "mere Sequence 5"?

Then again, in the last two meetings, they'd been casually discussing gods and angels…Sequence 5 really was "mere" in comparison.

But I'm just Sequence 8!

She suddenly felt like a husky that had accidentally wandered into a pack of wolves…

No—a Chihuahua!

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