Although Lynn didn't fully support Bethel's decision, as someone who always prioritized emotions over other matters, he chose to respect Bethel's wishes. So, he spoke with a bit of frustration, "Is there anything I can help with?"
"There is…" Bethel nodded but didn't start right away. Instead, he glanced at Klein and said, "We need to discuss some dangerous knowledge next. It might not be suitable for you to hear…"
Klein froze for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Alright, I'll step away. You can talk slowly."
Of course, what Mr Fool meant by "step away" wasn't leaving the gray fog but using its power to block the voices of Mr. Door and Lynn from reaching him—something Klein could do to the other members of the Tarot Club, and naturally, to himself as well.
After ensuring that the upcoming conversation wouldn't be overheard by Klein, Bethel turned to Lynn and said, "Part of the Ascension Ritual requires me to leave marks in various places throughout the Cosmos. When the time comes, I might need you to accompany me, though there's no need for you to take action. As long as you're with me, I believe those Outer Gods will avoid us."
Bethel had no choice but to make this request. Given his current state, if he dared to go alone to leave marks across the Cosmos, the Outer Gods would certainly abduct him.
But with Lynn around, it would be different. Bethel was deeply aware of the deterrent Lynn posed to the Outer Gods. Lynn wouldn't even need to take action; just his presence would be enough to keep the Outer Gods away.
It was precisely this deterrent that Bethel sought. He didn't really want Lynn to get involved in a fight, as Bethel had vaguely sensed that the power Lynn wielded came at a cost.
"You should ask the Angel of Secrets for this…" Lynn muttered, maintaining his usual character despite his frustration, "But I'll pass the message along."
"That's all? No other requests?" Lynn asked, glancing at Bethel. "Don't hold back with me. Since we're friends, I'll help you as much as I can."
"There are indeed some other requests, but I can handle those myself…" Bethel shook his head and looked at Lynn, his expression becoming more serious. "You don't have much time left, Lynn."
"Although I can't be certain of the specifics, after absorbing that knowledge, I can sense that your time is running out…" Bethel's face grew unusually stern. "You need to ascend to that level as soon as possible—before the apocalypse arrives. That's a crucial point in time, and there may be changes. I'm not sure…"
"But whatever you plan to do, I suggest you finish it before that day."
Clearly, after absorbing the knowledge from Lynn's true form, Bethel had gained insight into some secrets that Lynn himself might not even fully grasp.
Or perhaps Lynn had once known but had deliberately chosen to forget.
"The apocalypse, huh…" Lynn furrowed his brows instinctively. Upon hearing Bethel's words, he immediately knew that the other wasn't lying.
It seemed that he truly was on a countdown, and the end of that countdown would be the end of the world.
'Is this why I transmigrated in this era?' Lynn thought uncertainly, feeling a sense of urgency, though not overwhelmingly so.
After all, while Lynn had never completely given up on seeking amusement, he hadn't spent his time here merely indulging in pleasures. Both of his personas were about to reach the rank of King of Angels, and while his true self was only Sequence 6, ascending to Sequence 5 was merely a matter of gathering the materials.
Lynn was well aware that the Sequence of his true self had never been the important factor. What truly mattered was advancing his personas to Sequence 0. When that happened, significant changes were bound to occur.
'It seems I should speed up Mister Fool's ascension process. Once he reaches Marionettist, I'll visit the Roselle era. Given the difference in the flow of time, raising Klein to Lord of Mysteries will just be a matter of time…' Lynn muttered inwardly. After chatting with Bethel a bit more, he signaled Klein to lift the barrier.
The three of them then exchanged a few more words before leaving the gray fog.
'Well, the next step is to head to the Five Seas and help Mr. Fool ascend to Marionettist…' Lynn stretched lazily and glanced at Klein, muttering to himself, 'Next, I should arrange for Bernadette and the future Hermit to meet us.'
'Hm, since the Angel of Secrets is currently occupied in the Land Abandoned by the Gods and unable to come, I'll let my main body handle this meeting…' With this thought, Lynn turned to Klein and said with enthusiasm, "Sherlock, let's go meet with Miss Bernadette! We'll need her help to find the mermaids in the Five Seas."
Having made things clear with Bernadette after the whole Roselle embarrassing incident, Lynn's true form and Klein were already acquainted with her and knew where she was staying.
Klein blinked in surprise, then remarked in a half-joking tone, "Didn't you say that you wanted to search for mermaids because going to the Cathedral of Serenity to advance was too conventional?"
In other words, borrowing Bernadette's influence in the Five Seas seemed contradictory.
But despite his teasing, Klein didn't object to Lynn's suggestion. Being able to directly enlist Bernadette's help to find mermaids was a great opportunity.
"Did I say that?" Lynn feigned ignorance before righteously adding, "I'm doing this all for you. As far as I know, Bernadette and Admiral of Stars Cattleya still have a strong connection, even though they've had a public fallout. Since you wanted to meet Frank Lee, I'm just creating an opportunity for you."
Klein was left speechless. Although he was sure Lynn was mainly doing this for fun, he knew arguing with him was futile, so he simply said, "Miss Bernadette should still be at her residence in Backlund. By the way, she mentioned wanting to meet the Angel of Secrets for something important. If you can contact him, maybe you could help her out."
Lynn froze for a moment before realizing what Bernadette likely wanted to give to the Angel of Secrets.
After everything that had happened during his slumber, he had almost forgotten that Bernadette had gone back to the Five Seas to retrieve the Wishing Lamp.
(End of Chapter)
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