"Name: Misfortune Crystal
Appearance: A yellow crystal sphere about the size of a fist.
Function: Bestows misfortune upon a specified enemy, bringing catastrophic disasters that could lead to their demise.
Negative Effects: While afflicting misfortune on the target, the user will also experience misfortune, albeit to a lesser degree. If the target resists the misfortune, the user will suffer backlash in the form of bad luck. Even when not in use, the holder will encounter increasingly severe misfortunes, potentially resulting in death.
Special Notes: This item carries angelic-tier spiritual corruption. Even a demigod cannot fully resist its negative effects.
Suggested Usage: Use only when blessed with 'good fortune' or under the protection of an angel-level or higher entity related to the domain of 'Fate' to mitigate the negative effects.
Sealing Methods:
Employ charms from the domain of 'Order' to 'Prohibit' or 'Distort' the misfortune effect. This approach doesn't eliminate the negative effects entirely but reduces their severity to a manageable level.
Use angel-tier power or higher to forcibly seal the item."
As Ebner recalled the details of the Misfortune Crystal from its "report," he couldn't help but sigh.
The previous owner of the crystal, the former landlord of the Amyris Leaf Bar, "Strongman Ozil," had evidently utilized the first sealing method. This likely explained his poor fortune, culminating in provoking Ebner—a foe he couldn't handle—and ultimately losing his life.
If I could keep the Pure White Eye activated constantly, I might be able to suppress its effects, but that's clearly not feasible right now. So, I can only rely on Klein.
After all, he is The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck. For him, this misfortune is nothing.
Muttering to himself, Ebner began the ritual to offer the Misfortune Crystal and the Abraham family notebook to the Gray Fog.
Of course, he didn't phrase it as asking The Fool to bear the misfortune for him. Instead, he requested "The Fool's Blessed One to divine the crystal's origins and safeguard it." As for the payment? The knowledge contained in The Book of Stars and Elements.
Once the ritual was completed, Ebner returned to the Wall family kitchen to prepare a modest dinner from the household supplies. Naturally, he paid for the ingredients and subtly used his powers to ensure the lady of the house forgot about the two extra pies she baked.
Incidentally, the Wall family's patriarch, Barnett Wall, was the estranged father of Ebner's close friend, "Magician" Fors Wall.
Barnett Wall had left his wife and daughter in Backlund to chase wealth and status in East Balam, joining the influx of officers, adventurers, and destitute farmers venturing to the colonies after the discovery of the new trade routes.
Unlike many, Wall succeeded, but his success came at the cost of completely abandoning his old family. He remarried in Gulain and had a new daughter.
However, guilt over his late wife's death prompted him to transfer all his Backlund assets to Fors. He even pulled strings to secure her a lucrative job upon her graduation from Backlund Medical College, effectively severing their father-daughter ties.
It was this job at the Joseph Clinic that introduced Fors to Annalisa, the widow of an Abraham family member, setting her on the path to becoming a Beyonder.
As a result, Fors spoke of her father with a detached tone during their conversations, revealing no strong emotions—neither love nor hate. Their bond had eroded to the point of indifference.
Since Fors herself didn't care, Ebner saw no reason to meddle or seek retribution on her behalf. Doing so might even give Barnett Wall the wrong impression that Fors still thought about him.
However, Ebner overheard that Wall had recently been assigned by the military to act as a guide for a task force from the Northern Continent, bound for the Pars Valley.
This was why Ebner wasn't in a hurry to hunt down the "Finskes Lion." In the unfamiliar southern lands, lacking a reliable guide, he decided it was better to wait a few days and follow this task force instead.
Moreover, Xio was expected to arrive in Gulain soon. Ebner wondered if she might be part of this military operation.
Lost in thought, Ebner quickly finished his meal of southern-style pies. Then, opening the "Door of Dreams," he stepped into the "Dream Labyrinth Tower."
His plan was to grind a few rounds of points before resuming his Polymath role-playing for the night. Although the cards from yesterday had disappeared, new ones had started appearing as soon as he "swam" back to Gulain…
...
Above the Gray Fog, in the Ancient Palace
Klein gazed at the ancient notebook and crystal ball before him but refrained from divining them immediately. His body was still in a washroom at a restaurant near Harvest Church, leaving him pressed for time.
"An Abraham family notebook obtained from Vice Admiral Iceberg? The complete version of The Book of Stars? Written by a Wanderer?
"'Wanderer' should be a high sequence title in the Apprentice pathway. I wonder which sequence it corresponds to exactly.
"Mr. Tower really knows how to make remarkable friends… Could the tabloid rumors about him and the female pirate generals hold some truth?"
After clicking his tongue in amusement, Klein tossed the two items into the junk pile for later examination. He was about to simulate the feeling of descending back to reality when, suddenly, one of the deep red stars hovering in the endless gray fog began to shine brilliantly, pulsing like rippling water.
This wasn't one of the stars belonging to a Tarot Club member.
"Shoko? What is he praying for?" Klein immediately recognized the source of the star's light.
Unknowingly bound to The Fool through a deep mystical connection, Shoko's prayers would ultimately reach Klein no matter whom they were directed toward.
As Klein's spiritual perception touched the pulsating star, it unfolded into a vivid vision of the androgynous Shoko fervently praying, along with snippets of his voice.
Moments later, Klein understood the predicament Shoko faced and the imminent danger surrounding Lina.
"So many coincidences… Is this the work of Ince Zangwill and 0-08 manipulating events? If so, it's likely that reinforcements from the Church of the Storm won't arrive in time…
"No, I can't just sit back and let Ince's schemes succeed!
"Moreover, while I might tolerate the Aurora Order's actions, I can't ignore the potential loss of the Mandated Punishers, Lina, or Shoko."
With thoughts racing, Klein formulated a plan. After quickly divining the outcome, he left the Gray Fog, returned to reality, and hurried back to Harvest Church as fast as possible.
His strategy was simple: report it.
Although his words carried little weight, the testimony of a chief priest of the Earth Mother's Church certainly did.
As long as the Nighthawks or the Heart of Mechanics arrived at the scene promptly, Ince's intricate setup would be completely derailed.
The only remaining challenge was convincing Archbishop Utravsky to believe him—and ensuring the bishop would later assist in keeping his involvement hidden…
This development aligned perfectly with Ebner's plans. Instead of wandering unfamiliar territories alone, he could follow this military unit to reach the Pars Valley—and perhaps avoid unnecessary risks.
End of chapter